The following two types of patients are eligible for bariatric surgery :
The patients with BMI greater than or equal to 32.5 kg / m2 with one or more significant obesity-related conditions including :
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Obstructive sleep apnoea
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- High cholesterol
- A family history of early coronary heart disease
The patients with BMI greater than or equal to 35 with one or more significant obesity-related conditions including :
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Obesity-induced physical problems interfering with lifestyle
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Body size problems precluding or severely interfering with social life, employment, family function and ambulation
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Age between 16 and 65 years (with some exceptions)
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Having multiple failed attempts at supervised dietary, behavioural and medical therapy
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Understanding and accepting the operative risks
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Having realistic expectations and motivated
Exclusion criteria :
- Drug and / or alcohol addiction
- Generally, age under 16 years or over 65 years (age is not a strict criterion)
- History of serious heart disease or severe lung problems. This can put one at increased risk during anaesthesia
- Chronic pancreatitis (or a history of this)
- Certain types of cirrhosis of the liver
- Autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus
- Blood disorder which increases the risk of heavy bleeding
- History of severe psychiatric illness
- Receiving cancer treatment (e.g. chemotherapy)
- Suffering from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel diseases)
- Pregnancy