THE number of obese Scots receiving radical surgery for weight loss is set to increase tenfold, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.
A group of experts is considering expanding the number of treatments involving gastric bands from around 300 a year to 3,000, making Scotland a "centre of excellence" for weight loss surgery.
Gastric bands cut down the capacity of the stomach and
reduce the amount a patient can eat. Duff Bruce, chairman of Scotland's Severe and Complex Obesity Treatment Service, and a consultant surgeon at BMI healthcare's Albyn Hospital, Aberdeen, confirmed the number of operations could increase to around 3,000 a year.
Duff, who also performs NHS surgery at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, said: "There is currently no country in the world providing this treatment to all patients who are eligible and willing and there's no question that we are relatively naive to this service. So we have an amazing opportunity to do this properly and we should develop the service at a national level.
"Obesity is a particular problem in Scotland and we have some of the highest rates in the world, and Scotland does seem to have a severe and increasing problem. But there's an increasing awareness and development of the service."
He added: "There are a lot of discussions to try to create a structured service that can be developed towards a centre of excellence."
Almost two-thirds of men and more than half of women in Scotland are overweight or obese.
The Severe and Complex Obesity Treatment Service, a group of doctors and health experts, is working to expand Scotland's provision of gastric band surgery on the NHS. The private sector, which currently provides around one-third of operations, will also play a part.
Duff added a "reasonable target" initially would be to increase annual operations to around 400, but that Scotland should aim towards the 3,000 target the next few years, divided between the NHS and the private sector.
Duff added: "Celebrities who have undergone surgery have undoubtedly aided people's awareness of weight loss operations. However it's an increasingly sedentary lifestyle which is putting us on a par with America."
At up to £11,000 per patient the move would be costly, but experts say the initial costs would be vastly outweighed by the amount of money the NHS would save on treating obesity-related diseases.
The Scottish Government is investing record sums into tackling obesity and Bruce believes much of this will go towards gastric band surgery.
The service, which is provided on the NHS in specialist centres at hospitals in Glasgow and Aberdeen will soon be expanded to include either Dundee or Edinburgh. Operations are also carried out in private hospitals across the country.
Patients are eligible for the surgery if they have a BMI of 40 or more, or over 35 with a disease such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure that could be improved if they lost weight.
Under the procedure, which is performed with keyhole surgery, an adjustable silicone band is inserted around the top part of the stomach, severely limiting the amount of food a patient can eat. Only small amounts can be digested, but it is enough to provide essential nutrients and the patient is given a diet plan that encourages them to eat a balanced diet. On average patients lose up to 30% of their body weight and keep it off so long as the band stays in place.
Celebrities including Sharon Osbourne and Fern Britton have undergone the procedure.
Dr David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, last night welcomed the move.
He said: "I would fully back this scheme. Although gastric band surgery is not suitable for everyone, and not to be done in place of diet and exercise, it's a very successful procedure. It is clinically effective and cost effective and saves taxpayers a fortune compared to the costs of treating things like diabetes and morbidity caused by obesity. In patients who have diabetes caused by their obesity, a gastric band operation reverses the diabetes in 90 per cent of cases, and the thought of that alone is too good to miss."
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Many factors contribute to obesity including diet, exercise, psychology, culture and environment and all must be taken into account for effective, long lasting prevention and treatment.
"That's why we're supporting a wide range of actions that will contribute to a positive cultural shift in how we live and encourage people to maintain a healthy weight by eating healthier and being more physically active. Surgery for obesity should only be used when all non-surgical measures have been tried, but failed.
"Guidelines on the treatment of obesity establish clear thresholds for deciding when bariatric surgery may be recommended as a treatment option for adults."
'My stomach was growling yet I was full on just a yoghurt' Having given up on a series of diets after struggling to find the will power to stick to them, Paisley call-centre worker Isabel MacFarlane turned to her doctor to find a medical solution to her weight problem.
At a shade under 20 stone, her body mass index was 46 – placing her firmly in the category of the "morbidly obese".
"I've dieted all my life, and managed to lose weight, but not sustain the loss," said 32-year-old Isabel. If you stop following their plans, you're back to square one. It's purely will power; I just didn't have enough to get it under control."
After toying with the idea of taking a course of pills, she settled on paying £8,000 to her employer, BMI Healthcare, for a gastric band operation in 2007.
From then onwards her weight plummeted until levelling out at 11 stone 7 lbs.
"The first few days afterwards I was full on just a yoghurt," she said. "It was very strange – my stomach was growling because there was nothing in it but I was full."
Although the band can be removed, Isabel insists she will keep it permanently to avoid relapsing into weight gain.
Despite drawbacks, which included a difficulty ingesting bread – which expands when wet – and chicken, along with damage to her hair after skipping crucial supplements, she's eager to sing the praises of the procedure.
"It's been an absolute godsend, and has given me a new lease of life. I'm getting married in four weeks' time, and have been going shopping for wedding dresses. I never thought I would.
"For me, it's the future."
