Published on: 27 February 2020
Two international surgical delegations will visit the world-renowned surgical weight management unit at Sunderland Royal Hospital to study a ground-breaking procedure which is helping patients living with obesity to lose weight and improve their health.
The visits come in the month of World Obesity Day, which is on Wednesday, March 4th. The visitors from Iraq, Lebanon, Cyprus and Egypt will see Consultant Surgeon Mr Peter Small and his team performing mini gastric bypass operations. The laparoscopic (keyhole surgery) procedure has been shown to be extremely effective, with patients losing 70%-80% of their excess body weight and very few of them going on to regain weight. There is also evidence that it can improve and even eradicate diseases connected to being overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnoea (a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts).
As a global leader in bariatric surgery, the surgical weight management unit has hosted national teaching courses in collaboration with medical technology company Medtronic Limited since 2016, when 40 surgeons from all over the UK attended a symposium at Sunderland Royal. Interest has since spread more widely and this will be the second time that surgical teams from abroad have come to the hospital.
The unit, which has featured in TV documentaries due to its high profile, was one of the pioneers of the original gastric bypass procedure in 2009. Following research, it also introduced the mini gastric bypass (or One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass, now called OAGB/MGB) in 2013, which is associated with lower surgical risks and may produce more robust long-term results. Sunderland Royal Hospital is now one of the most experienced centres for the operation: of the 300 to 350 bariatric procedures it carries out each year, more than 100 are OAGB/MGB.
The procedure involves stapling the stomach to form a ‘pouch’ which is then connected to the intestine, bypassing the start of the upper intestine. As a result, food bypasses part of the stomach and part of the small intestine, leading to less food intake and absorption.
Mr Small, who is the lead surgeon of the specialist unit which helps patients from all across the North of England, said: “Obesity is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a disease and there is an epidemic – here in the UK and in many other countries. People are dying 10 years ahead of their time because of obesity, which is clearly associated with health problems such as diabetes, certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea and depression, to name but a few.
“Ultimately, Weight Loss Surgery helps patients reduce their caloric intake significantly, which is the most effective way to lose weight. The patient has to commit to changing their lifestyle, particularly by increasing activities, to help any weight-associated medical condition. Patients have to adhere to these lifestyle changes if they wish to benefit in the long-term. Weight Loss Surgery is not an easy, quick fix and can be associated with complications, just like any other operation, but it is safe. We are very happy to pass on our surgical expertise and experience to surgical colleagues from all over the world to help them tackle this global epidemic.”
A Medtronic Limited spokeswoman said: “As the world’s largest medical device company, our mission at Medtronic is to restore health, extend life and help people access the treatment they need. World Obesity Day 2020 is the perfect time to join groups of doctors together from around the globe to allow them to share ideas and learn new skills to cope with the most challenging epidemic on the planet today. The Sunderland team is at the leading edge of this work and we are proud to be associated with them.”
