Like so many people across the UK, you may struggle with controlling your calorific intake. Unfortunately, losing weight is not as simple as eating a salad here and there – it requires hard work and commitment, and sometimes people need the help of a tool to lose weight. This is why we offer medical weight loss procedures including the gastric balloon and bariatric surgery, which have successfully been used as tools by many of our patients to help lower their body mass index (BMI).
Gastric Balloon Placements
Gastric balloons are a fantastic temporary weight loss tool that work by occupying around 60% of the stomach, delaying gastric emptying, and suppressing production of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. They are a non-surgical weight loss procedure that offer patients the kick-start that they need to start reach their weight loss goals.
We offer two different types of gastric balloon, the BiB gastric balloon can be in place for up to 6 months, while the Orbera 365 can be in place for a period of 12 months. Your eligibility for a gastric balloon depends on several criteria, from BMI to comorbidities such as high blood pressure to heart disease.
Gastric balloons help patients feel fuller for longer, enabling them to better control calorific intake, change habits and facilitate weight loss. Unlike other weight loss procedures, a gastric balloon is temporary tool, it helps patients to begin a weight loss journey, but the health benefits come from habit changes made along the way. It is through this that patients embark on a journey of sustainable weight loss.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery
A gastric sleeve is a common weight loss surgery that tackles obesity and the comorbidities associated with it. During the surgery our specialist consultant will remove around 80% of the stomach. This surgery is usually conducted laparoscopically and lasts for between 1 – 4 hours.
A gastric sleeve permanently reduces the space available in the stomach for food. Though initially patients will need to take on a liquid diet, after a couple of weeks, your diet can return to food once more. It is important to pay attention to diet considerably more after a gastric sleeve to ensure that your body is still getting all the nutrients that it needs.
Expected weight loss with a gastric sleeve is around 70% as measured over the course of two years. All patients with Allure are supported by our dedicated aftercare programme.
Gastric Bypass Surgery
The gastric bypass is known as the ‘gold standard’ of bariatric surgery and has been used for decades. First developed in the 1960s, the bypass works by rerouting the stomach and creating a new, smaller stomach known as a ‘pouch’. The key difference between this and the sleeve is that the bypass does not require the removal of any of the stomach.
There are two forms of gastric bypass used by surgeons. The main one being the traditional gastric bypass, and the other being the newer mini gastric bypass. Like the gastric sleeve, the bypass has a weight loss expectation of around 70% as measured over a two year period. As always, gastric bypass surgery is completed by a dedicated aftercare programme by our specialist team to help our patients develop healthier habits and lose weight.
Get Help with Your Calorie Intake with Allure
Dietitian Care
Our celebrated aftercare programme includes expert dietitian care. Our HCPC registered dietitians will be on hand to help you through your journey with Allure, no matter which procedure you undertake.
They will provide excellent diet advice and guide you on your journey to developing healthier habits. It is important that even though you will consume less food after your procedure, that you are still getting all the nutrients that your body needs. They will be able to guide you on ways to make sure you’re consuming enough protein to fuel your body and develop a healthy relationship with food.
Weight Counselling
We also offer the optional service of weight counselling. Sometimes, our relationship with food that led to our original weight gain goes deeper than simply changing a habit. The link between mental health and diet goes deeper than we think. Dealing with eating disorders often requires more help than we can give ourselves, and that is why for some patients we recommend speaking to Dr Mark Bruce for additional support when they embark on their journey with Allure.
No matter if you’ve undergone one of our bariatric procedures or have had a gastric balloon placed, healing our relationship with food often starts with healing our minds.
If you’re interested in one of our weight loss procedures and would like more information on the services we offer to help get you started on your journey to a healthier lifestyle, contact us today.
