Gastric Band - The dangers of poor aftercare
Dangers of poor patient follow up, education and aftercare, following gastric band.
As a Registered Nurse working in field of weight loss surgery in the UK, I see many patients who have started their treatment with groups other than the company I work for. The normal complaints are either; distance to see a healthcare professional (if one is provided), can't access follow up care, can't get to talk to the same person twice in a row, not losing weight, etc etc.
This week however I saw a new patient in clinic that made me feel angry and almost ashamed to be involved in the care of patients undergoing this type of surgery. I just wouldn't want to be associated with people who treat patients the way she has been treated. The problem was that she was close to a state of collapse, and felt she couldn’t get the help she needed. She hadn't been able to eat any foods at all for over 2 months and had survived on just sips of water. My assessment of her condition made me consider admitting her to hospital until I could be certain she would recover fully. With a BMI of just 23 and having lost 5lbs in the last week, she was in my opinion not far from a significant incident, that would have ended with her in hospital. I adjusted her band, removing 2.5ml of fluid which allowed her to drink properly. I ensured she had drunk a significant amount of fluid before allowing her to leave the hospital. She assured me that she felt well again almost instantly. I allowed her to leave with instructions on how to return to normal eating over the next 10 days.
I wanted to write this case up as a warning to anyone who has a gastric band now, or is considering one in the future. Gastric banding, when done correctly i.e. by an experienced surgeon with an experienced team, is a very safe operation to have done. If this is followed by professional aftercare and a behavioral change programme that has been researched, in most patients it can be a very effective long term solution to excess weight. Problems with this procedure can occur, when the operation is done by an inexperienced surgeon or team. When the aftercare and help is a significant distance from home, and is delivered by inexperienced or poorly trained people.
What to consider when choosing a Gastric Band Clinic
If you are considering having a gastric band, there are things you should look for; I would strongly advise you to ask the following questions:
- How many gastric band procedures has the surgeon done? What are the complication rates for this surgeon - have them written down for you to take away.
- How many gastric band procedures has he done with his team, particularly the anesthetist, and first assistant?
- Who will deliver the gastric band aftercare, what are their qualifications?
- What is included in the gastric band aftercare? You should look for at least 12 months of support, delivered by a trained doctor, nurse or dietician in a hospital or gastric band clinic close to you. An educational package that will teach you about how you can work with your band. Do they have statistics to back up their claims?
- Clear instructions and contact details should you feel that there is something wrong. You should never feel that you can't swallow a glass of water without vomiting it back up almost immediately.
I wish you the very best of health for the future. If you already have a gastric band I hope it is working well for you. If you are considering having a gastric band procedure, I hope I have given you food for thought. There is an old saying in surgery "Good surgery is rarely cheap", "cheap surgery is rarely good". There is a lot more to the success of a gastric band than the surgery, that is just the start of a long journey to health and happiness.
Andy
Related Reading
- Gateway Health weight loss progamme
- Gastric band
- Book a weight loss consultation
- Gastric band clinic - a patients journey