I made no distinction between private and NHS patients as that was not the point in question. I guess there is a case for checking if the £12,000 plus of publicly funded money is a worthwhile investment, but I firmly believe that ALL surgeons have a duty of care to assess that the person whose guts they are going to re-route is equipped with the faculties to cope with post operative life. Post op life carries with it a number of rules that failure to follow may result in serious illness or even death, so surely it is prudent to assess if that person is prepared/capable of doing it?
What “Special needs” would you say should be considered? On what basis are you claiming that we are ALL mentally equipped for WLS? Because if we were then surely there would be no reason for pre testing of attitude, or psychological assessment. Your premise is at best flawed and at worst dangerously ignorant of the impact that having someone’s main source of emotional support (Food) removed from their grasp might and does have.
I am no saint, nor do I compare my maxim to anybody else’s, but I can follow instructions that we are all given and I would expect any post operatives to at least do the same
Thanks, by missing the point completely you just made my point for me. The issue isn’t whether they want to fail; it is whether they have the mental capacity, determination, and attitude to want to succeed. Can they take this golden chance of potential lifelong success and make it work with them to change their lives for the better.
Too many see this as a miracle cure, they turn up, get chopped, and the weight is gone forever, it’s easy. I read threads entitled 100 lbs gone forever!! And I cringe, it’s only gone forever if you have changed your lifestyle to ensure it. Unless we do our bit it will fail, we will fail.
The failure rate for WLS is far greater than 10%. Average failure to maintain without regain for two years or more is I believe closer to 40%, but again you miss the point.
The idea should be to assess if the potential patient has the capacity to succeed. My mate in America had to sit a two hour questionnaire that assessed her suitability for surgery. She also had a sixty minute interview with a psychologist who checked that her attitude was right, and that she was mentally equipped for the rigours of post op life. Her surgical team have a 95% success rate for their patients maintaining a healthy weight up to three years out. That success rate is superb and is based upon the level of assessment that is employed to make sure only those who are right for surgery get it. This is the norm for the USA mate not the exception; they don’t have the NHS in America, someone has to pay be it the individual or the insurance companies.
All should receive help with managing their weight. That is an absolute given and I have no problem with that. My point is simply this; WLS is not a cure for obesity. Unless you deal with the root cause first then far from helping the individual WLS might actually make matters worse. If you have someone who is mildly depressed, addicted to the comfort that they get from food, and you strip that crutch away from them without prior or additional psychological support and you have a recipe for disaster.
They should carry out better testing to find out if the person is actually going to do their bit and benefit from WLS. If they are not ready mentally then help get them ready first, then when they are prepared to change for life great; at that point let them have the chance, until that time spend the money more wisely on those that are. That really is my point in a nutshell.
As for me calling some idiots! Well when your surgeon tells you that eating solid food before you’re ready for it could cause you serious medical consequences maybe even be fatal, and despite that they are still eating pizza or bread or meat or chuffin KFC at week two, then they my friend are friggin idiots. Someone who is told not to drink booze for six months who ignores that advice and is drinking at week two, three, or four etc is an idiot, or has a drink problem that should have been dealt with pre op. Banders who blend chocolate bars so they can have them at week two are idiots. You call them what you like and I’ll call them idiots
I like to think I do give support to those who genuinely deserve it. If someone makes a mistake and learns from it then I will back them all the way, I am no saint and have never professed to be, but I have little tolerance for those who display a total lack of respect for the chance that they have been given.
I see too many people who abuse this chance when there are people desperate for WLS who I know would do all they could to make it work but because of a lack of funding or the postcode lottery they are denied, to have much sympathy for these idiots mate.
Have a good week x
