The majority of patients request a specific surgical procedure that is rarely the most suitable for their overweight problems
The selection of the most suitable treatment will depend on the personal circumstances of the patient, which, in the case of the Marbella hospital, are assessed by the members of the Bariatric Medicine Committee.
Surgical procedures to treat obesity have experienced a revolution in recent years, and there are nowadays numerous techniques available to patients. The past decade has also seen the publication of topic-related literature that is widely available to patients. This situation has provided an excess of information that, in its majority, requires professional guidance. "The majority of patients come to a doctor’s surgery with a direct request of a specific type of surgical procedure that is rarely the most suitable for their overweight problems. Our guidance is essential to accompany the patient in their decision to lose weight and begin their personal transformation", explains Doctor Rida Nagib Raya, Head of the Endocrinology and Nutrition Unit of the Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital.
The selection of the most suitable treatment will depend on the personal circumstances of the patient, which, in the case of the Marbella hospital, are assessed by the members of the Bariatric Medicine Committee. "A multidisciplinary team including all the members of the Comprehensive Obesity Unit, which guarantees the individualised follow-up of each case. This unit has a cross-functional approach to help select the most suitable diagnostic tests and therapies", states Doctor Javier Padillo Ruiz, a Senior Consultant of the Comprehensive Obesity Unitof the Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital.
Broadly, there are two types of treatments for obesity: endoscopic approach treatments (by access through the mouth) and treatments that require more complex surgery and are covered in the Bariatric Surgery protocol (laparoscopic techniques, whereby a small incision is made below the navel). In the latter case, the patient needs to undergo surgery. Candidates to this type of treatment are patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40 or 35, who also have at least two comorbidities associated to obesity. As Doctor Abdul Razak, a specialist in Bariatric Surgery in the General and Digestive Tract Surgery Unit explains, "the patient profile tends to be someone who has unsuccessfully attempted to lose weight several times, even by means of specific dietary plans and daily habit changes".
The most common and interesting bariatric procedures are currently gastrojejunal bypass surgery and vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Apart from these two techniques, other common treatments are the gastric band and gastric plication surgery. Within the endoscopic treatments, the most common options are the Apollo method, the intragastric balloon and the POSE method.
Flagship healthcare project
The start of the activities of the Comprehensive Obesity Unit reinforces the commitment of the Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital to offer a professional solution to a widely-spread public health problem. The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies obesity as a non-infectious pandemic. Every year, 2.8 million people in the world are estimated to die as a result of obesity or overweight.
The healthcare project of our Malaga medical centre provides company and guidance to the patient throughout the entire process with the purpose of achieving their personal goals in weight loss. The multidisciplinary team is made of specialists from various disciplines: Specialists in Endocrinology, Digestive Tract, Nutrition, Clinical Psychology and Surgery of the Digestive Tract, offering the patient individualised advice and a customised plan prior, during and after their intervention in order to consolidate the change in their daily habits and, therefore, promote the start of a new healthier stage in their lives.
