Would you consider private bariatric surgery with a BMI of 30?

[Miababe]

I've been recently diagnosed with severe sleep apnoea and have a CPAP machine. This has been a big shock to me and scary. I also have high BP which is controlled with medication and osteoarthritis in my hips/hands though mildly, but does feel uncomfortable every day. I know I need to lose 3 stone in order to have a chance of coming off of CPAP for good. I have a BMI of 30.

I find it really difficult to stick to any diet because I have complex needs kids and get tired etc. I know I should persevere and lose the weight with will power but it would need to be lifelong.
I understand that private hospitals/clinics do not have to stick to the NICE guidelines when it comes to BMI eligibility for bariatric surgery so with my BMI at 30 but with co-morbidities I could be accepted for the band or sleeve. Do you know anyone who has gone private and had these done with a BMI of 30? Would you if you were in my position?

I had it done. BMI of 32. Gastric bypass. I'm fine now. Yes, I take B12 and a multi vitamin but I can (and unfortunately do) eat whatever I want. No health issues. Blood pressure is down. Was prediabetic before, I'm not now.

My weight does start to creep up again if I'm not careful but I diet it off again. It's a bit easier to diet now because I'm no longer insulin resistant thanks to the surgery.

Don't believe all the 'I had a friend who...', join some online groups for people who've had it done.

The absolutely ONLY thing I would not have done was go overseas for it. I had mine done at my local private hospital. Wonderful surgeon. Offers permanent follow-ups. Probably because he's so good at what he does there are very few patients who actually need long-term follow ups.

This is pure bullshit!
You want to have actual surgery rather than take a safe, evidence based medication on the word of some hack dietitian? Embarrassing

You can look up the risks associated with jabs (complications per 1,000 patients) for example and then risks for surgery (complications per 1,000).

Bariatric surgery is so invasive and dangerous I cannot believe it would be considered safer than jabs. The number of people having stomach surgery in the UK has completely fallen away since the jabs came on the market which says a lot.

I know so many people on the jabs and it's been life transforming for them. I don't see why any would be malnourished when you can still eat a balanced diet just smaller portions.

I've never looked back since my surgery (almost 4 years ago now). Wish I'd done it 20 years ago.

I think you’d be mad to go straight to surgery without trying the jabs. I’ve kept my dose tit he minimum I need to lose weight so have still been able to eat and no chance of malnutrition! But it’s come off steadily and helped me to eat “normally”, I am tapering down but may well need to be on them long long term which I’m ok with. It redresses an imbalance in hormones/brain chemistry as I see it.

If the jabs had not come along, I would have been reconciled to the surgery. It worked to some degree. As it is, I wish I hadn't done it. It's irreversible and life changing.

@friedaddedchillihave you been left with awful side effects? Why do you regret it if you don’t mind me asking l?

No, not awful side effects, after initial recovery. I wouldn't call the radical, ongoing restriction a side effect. It's what I signed up for. You will be living with 15% of a stomach forever and it's difficult to explain what that's like on both personal and social levels. Also, as I mentioned above, it didn't fully "work". The hunger returned and I regained a lot of weight. I regret it because the jabs have come along and they are, in my view, a much, much better option. Though regret is probably not quite the right word, as I made a reasoned decision with the options available at the time.

Also, just to add, the hunger is not an issue on the jabs.

Thank you @friedaddedchillii simply can’t afford the jabs and the nhs won’t give them to me sadly. It seems so crazy to me that they’re offering surgery because I’ve no other illness but won’t give me jabs because of this reason! Crazy. I’m worried about acid reflux and gallstones mostly, and the nausea people speak about. But I can live on a restricted diet and would be happy to do so forever. Is hunger suppressed with the sleeve or is your brain saying ‘et’ and your body is saying ‘no’? Thanks so much for your help

You’ll save a lot of money by eating less while on the jabs.

@oliviaAustini don’t think that is necessarily true, I certainly don’t eat £170 worth of food to myself a month as I have a family so we eat together

I never said you’d save all of it but you will save a fair amount. People cut out takeaway coffees and meals out and alcohol, snacks and treats and desserts and biscuits and eat 1/3rd to half portions. That adds up to a big saving over the month. You might surprise yourself.

Can you cut out 95% of processed foods and walk 7,000 steps a day? I lost 15kg like this in just a few months and didn’t feel hungry. Have never previously had any real success with dieting. I know everyone is different in what works for them but this approach avoids meds and surgery. I’ts also been easy to maintain the weight loss (I’ve been maintaining for nearly a year now)

I did develop reflux for the first time in my life, but that seems to have tailed off. No gallstone issues. No nausea to speak of. Hunger was initially suppressed, but as I've mentioned, it comes back. Then you are struggling with your body again, as it's (very) uncomfortable to eat more than tiny amounts but the hunger is pressuring for more. I have to eat every two hours. This is not an issue with the jabs. Can you wait? I empathise with the cost issue, but things have changed so much in the last few years I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a radical change of direction by the NHS in due course. It's not for me, a stranger on the internet to advise you, but if I were in the same position now as I was then, I would not have the surgery. And I had a BMI of 40.

How long has it taken you?
I've been contemplating it vs fasting

The band is considered a historic operation now as there are better bariatric options available (bypass and sleeve) and it has poor long term results. I know of people who need theirs adjusted and the clinics to do that have shut down.

My BMI was 39 I had a bypass 2 years ago and it’s now 24. I am on B12 jabs and vitamins for life though. I could not have a sleeve as has had silent reflux which I thought was sleep apnoea (I was choking at night, that stopped for good 2 days after the operation).

You could look at the jabs but I did the jabs but when there was a shortage put the weight back on. There are different ones now to what I tried available though. Whatever you do I suggest seeing a psychologist (that was part of my private package) to address any issues around food.

Considered historic by who? The NHS are still commonly offering this surgery over WLI

We’ve been doing slimming world a year and a couple of months we started In May 2025 x

Yeah @Newname26 , I’ve lost 16.5lbs since the first week in April on SW.

I mainly use it for the direction on eating better - I’m a nightmare for convenience food and just grabbing crap on the go. Having to actually eat more mindfully and be accountable for it has done me wonders.

There are some bits I take with a pinch of
salt, like mashing a banana making it worse for you, but I’ve found the groups really lovely and helpful.

Honestly I would consider other views on WLI. Of course you might not be eligible for good clinical reasons. It’s also true that NHS clinicians, including me (not a dietitian) see an awful lot of people whose diets are truly diabolical. Literally they only eat beige fatty food. Which does become much more difficult on WLI. They also have life circumstances that make behaviour change very difficult. So they could end up malnourished (or more malnourished). And there are individuals who react badly to WLI, just like any medication. If you’re willing to commit to eat a healthy diet, then you will be eating a healthy diet - this is possible.

TBH I have been ‘told off ‘ by a nurse colleague for being on WLI, based on her GP’s views expressed to her. So there are plenty of clinicians who are against them. But I ignored it because she isn’t my doctor. I’m not going to say your dietitian friend is definitely wrong, given that she presumably knows more about you than we do. But she wasn’t seeing you in a clinical context and frankly she should know better than to give a clinical opinion outside that context - I hope I am very careful not to do that.