WITH THE RIGHT DEDICATION AND
SUPPORT, PEOPLE CAN TURN THEIR LIFE
AROUND AND ACHIEVE PERMANENT
WEIGHT CONTROL FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE.
Weight-loss surgery procedures evolve with
technology. Your surgeon should actively
participate in continuing education specific to
bariatric surgery and be involved with groups such
as the International Federation for the Surgery of
Obesity (IFSO).
Anaesthetic and perioperative care also contribute
to an un-complicated recovery from bariatric
surgery. It is essential that the whole team has
substantial training and experience specific to the
treatment of bariatric surgery patients.
Ask if the surgeon works with a bariatric
medical practitioner
Bariatric medical practitioners are doctors
who manage obesity and weight related health
problems. Ensuring a thorough medical assessment
is undertaken before surgery improves safety and
outcomes. All surgeries have risks and benefits,
including bariatric surgery. Obesity related health
complications can put people with obesity into a
higher risk category for surgical complications.
Pre-operative assessment is essential to
maximising safety.
Bariatric Medical Practitioners perform a surgical
risk assessment and adjust medications before
surgery. What often surprises people is that more
than a third of candidates for bariatric surgery
have ‘high calorie malnutrition’, with vitamin
and mineral deficiencies present before surgery. A
detailed nutritional screening will uncover this and
should be undertaken before surgery.
After surgery, Bariatric Medical Practitioners
manage medications during the rapid resolution of
weight related health problems. They troubleshoot
any side effects of surgery and direct long-term
nutritional monitoring and supplementation. This
works to ensure significant weight-loss and long-term
quality of life is sustained.
Include a specialised bariatric dietitian in
your care
Bariatric surgery reduces the volume of food that
can be eaten. The quality of the food consumed
and compliance with recommended supplements
remains the choice of the patient, making
nutritional care and food choice important
lifelong. Specialised dietetic advice is essential at
each phase:
Before surgery: to identify factors that may
impact on your long-term success, such as
your dietary beliefs and behaviours, cultural
background etc.
After surgery: to support and troubleshoot your
transition from liquids to puree and then back onto
solids, to ensure your nutrient requirements match
your appetite within the texture permitted.
Over the long-term a bariatric dietician can help
you monitor and prevent nutrient deficiencies and
maximise weight-loss. Symptoms of vitamin and
mineral deficiency are commonly non-specific, and
most characteristic physical findings are seen late
in the course of nutrient deficiency.
Consult with a psychologist
Emotional support is vital. Most people in society
have developed their eating patterns over time to
meet more than just their physical needs. Often
people eat for comfort, for socialisation, to combat
boredom or to overcome fatigue. Sometimes,
obesity has psychological causes that need to be
addressed. A psychologist can assist patients to
identify and overcome potential barriers that may
hinder their weight-loss success.
Look for a well-run practice with
bariatric nurses
It is important that the whole treatment process
runs smoothly, and a practice that employs
bariatric nurses will often be much better equipped
to provide a high level of care. A bariatric nurse
can case manage each patient to coordinate
appointments and information streams ensuring
nothing is forgotten.
Ensure long term follow-up is part of the
service provided
Ongoing, coordinated care that links with the
bariatric dietitian and others involved in the
weight-loss management team maximises the
health benefits for the patient by preventing
nutrient deficiencies and maximising long term
weight-loss.
Finding the right surgeon and program can be a
daunting process, but you will know when you
have found it.
I believe it is always important that a surgeon takes
the time to get to know their patients – understand
their struggles, determine what they need to
succeed and make a commitment to supporting
them to successful, long-term weight-loss.
With the right dedication and support, people
can turn their life around and achieve permanent
weight control for a healthy future.
38 Pindara Magazine ISSUE 14 | 2018