No, I’m not someone who had surgery and had it go wrong. You say that no amount of scaremongering will stop you from getting surgery abroad and you’re comfortable with the research you’ve done and the Zoom meetings you’ve had with them. That’s fine because I’m not trying to scaremonger.
Your health is your choice. You’re right; no one can “talk you” into or out of that. The only thing the NHS truly offers that surgery abroad doesn’t is the psychological support. Only you know how you got overweight. People accuse the NHS of making them jump through hoops for bariatric surgery (lose a certain amount of weight first, have psycho-therapy, talk to a dietician), but these are all things to ensure success AFTER surgery. It sounds like you’ve been talking to a supportive group on Facebook, but how long ago did most of them have their surgeries abroad? Have they kept off all the weight they’ve lost for five years? Because a lot of people without support after surgery don’t, which is why the NHS supports you long after surgery.
The NHS has looked at the studies that basically said, “The surgery alone with no support isn’t good enough or long-lasting,” which is why they’re willing to “spend the money” on all the extras when they’re already cash-strapped.
So if you decide to have surgery abroad, just please really think about what support you have in place to permanently change your eating habits and life, put those changes into effect BEFORE your surgery, and then get whatever support you need after to keep them going. I think it will be difficult without a complete program, but yes, of course it’s your choice.