Weight loss is often simplified to a process of eating less and moving more. But at Ormiston Weight Loss Service we know that for many people, it’s really not that simple.

So what is Ormiston Weight Loss Serivce? At Ormiston Hospital we have formed a team of dedicated professionals who have come together to form the Ormiston Weight Loss Service (OWLS). This service is managed from Ormiston Hospital and is made up of two surgeons, two gastroenterologists, a physiotherapist, and a dietitian. And includes support from a local psychologist. They each help patients over a 12 month period after their surgery to ensure the best overall health outcomes and weight loss results.

Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric or metabolic surgery, offers a surgical solution. OWLS also offers a nonsurgical weight loss procedure known as the gastric balloon. There are currently a very limited number of surgeries that are publicly funded in New Zealand each year, exclusive people who meet certain medical and weight criteria. Patients come to OWLS for a private healthcare experience with high success rates. This is made easier as some he

alth insurers now cover a portion of the cost of the surgery as a way to help with obesity related health conditions.

But why is surgery sometimes necessary, and what does it involve? We have tried to answer some of the big questions.

Why can it be so hard for some people to lose weight and keep it off?

Being severely obese is a disease – not a lifestyle choice.  Research shows that when we lose weight by diet, our body reacts by activating mechanisms that defend against that very process. This means, hunger-stimulating hormones typically increase after diet-induced weight loss and our body also tends to reduce the amount of energy it utilises, making it difficult to maintain weight loss in the long-term.

Most of the time, this is out of our control and has more to do with our biology and genetics. This can help to explain why some people who try diets often regain weight. This isn’t the person’s fault but can often be the result of the way their biology works.

What is weight loss surgery?

There are different variations of weight loss surgery. The two forms of surgery offered at OWLS are gastric bypass surgery, which divides the stomach into two smaller pouches and re-routes the small intestine, and gastric sleeve surgery, a procedure that removes part of the stomach and shapes it as a tube or ‘sleeve’.

These surgeries are designed to make a reduction in stomach size, but also change the physiological mechanisms that regulate appetite, satiety and metabolism. Not one procedure fits every person, which is why the choice should be discussed thoroughly with a specialist in order to be tailored to the individual patient’s needs.

Why is weight loss surgery so effective?

Bariatric surgery was first introduced 70 years ago, and since then has transformed the health of hundreds of thousands of people. Not only does it change the size of a patients stomach but it re-wires the connection between the gut and the brain. It has shown to dramatically improve other metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, as well as obesity related conditions such as hypertension, and sleep apnea. It is the only proven permanent method for long term weight loss and our patients usually wish they did it sooner.

Who can have the surgery?

There’s a range of criteria for having weight loss surgery. We often see patients with obesity related health concerns and those with a higher BMI, for example a BMI of 30 or over.

We encourage anyone who is considering a weight loss procedure to seek out a consultation booking to determine whether they meet the criteria for surgery.

Contact us to find out if you are eligible: owls@ormistonhospital.co.nz

 

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