“The best thing I’ve ever done…”
The Daily Telegraph recently quoted an official report which
stated that Britain faces an ‘obesity time bomb’ as the number of
middle-aged people who die as a result of being overweight will
more than double in less than a decade. People who are obese face a
greater risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis, and
around 13,000 new cancer cases a year are linked to being
overweight.
But official figures on obesity were not the concern of a
42-year-old female patient of Mr Charles Ranaboldo, a Consultant
General Surgeon at New Hall Hospital. She was only too aware that
the last three generations of her family had all suffered from
heart disease and heart problems and, in her father’s case, his
being overweight was cited as a contributing factor in his
premature death:
“I didn’t want what happened to my father to happen to me. I
tried everything I could to lose weight by conventional methods,
reducing my calorie intake through a healthy diet and regular
exercise, but eventually realised I had to take a more radical
approach to weight loss and decided to have a Gastric Banding
operation.”
During an initial consultation, Mr Ranaboldo explained what was
involved, the likely result and the possible risks:
“I knew that after the operation I had to be committed to a
whole new lifestyle and eating habits. Obesity surgery is not a
miracle cure - the kilos won’t come off by themselves. Together we
set out what my achievable weight-loss goals should be, with the
main aim being to improve my long-term health prospects.”
Gastric banding involves the surgical placing of a band around
the neck of the stomach, physically restricting the amount of food
that the stomach will accept. The procedure makes patients eat less
and feel full in two ways. By reducing the capacity of the stomach
it is not physically possible to eat a big meal, and the length of
time it takes for food to travel through the digestive system is
slowed down so people feel full for longer. Limiting food intake in
this way leads to substantial weight loss.
The change in lifestyle meant particular problems for the
patient:
“I work as a chef and knew there would be times when my craving
for a food I was preparing would be almost unbearable. That wasn’t
easy to accept but I wasn’t nervous or scared before the operation.
I knew exactly what was going to happen, and what the benefits
would be. It was more than something I wanted to do; it was
something I needed to do. In the end, that was all that really
mattered.”
The patient is delighted with the amount of weight she has lost
in the 14 months since the operation took place even though the
very rapid loss in the first few months has been replaced by a more
gradual decrease which is continuing. She follows strict guidelines
for eating, drinking and taking exercise, and has regular follow-up
appointments so Mr Ranaboldo can check her progress and ensure all
is well with the width and positioning of the band.
Has the sacrifice been worth the gain?
“Having the operation was the best thing I’ve ever done and the
result, that so far I’ve lost four stone and will continue to lose
weight, speaks for itself.”
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