Surgery necessitates a lifelong commitment by the patient and their medical professionals to maximise the benefits and minimise the complications.
Gastric band patients - Regular attendance is required to monitor rate of weight loss and adjust the band as necessary.
Complications such as inability to swallow properly or weight gain may indicate a problem with the band such as slippage.
All patients with a malabsorptive procedure, either singularly or in combination, require regular health checks to exclude vitamin and mineral defiencies. This could lead to weakened bones, anaemia or bleeding problems if not checked and corrected as necessary.
Dietary and psychological support is also very important to the success of these types of procedure.
The surgery alone is not a guarantee of success. It merely makes it difficult for the patient to maintain their unhealthy eating habits.