Duodenal Switch Surgeons

Any type if surgery will require a highly skilled surgeon both through qualifications and experience. You will need to ensure the surgeon you choose is trained to the level and a member of specific associations, as well as being registered on specific registers. All surgeons will need to hold a medical degree, and have experience within this surgical area for a specific amount of time. Surgeons in the UK need to meet specific requirements to qualify for this type of surgery, as well as surgeons abroad, however the types of qualifications needed, as well as which associations they should be registered with will differ from country to country.

Surgeons in the UK

Every surgeon within the UK will hold a medical degree which they will have studied for over a long period of time, they will also be required to have a certain amount of experience within this specific area. So they will have studied weight loss surgery and trained within this area, they will have experience of course with conducting duodenal switch surgery. As well as holding a degree, all surgeons are required to be registered with specific associations, these associations include:


  • Registered on the Specialist Register for Plastic Surgeons by the General Medical Council (they will have a number which represents this membership.)
  • The Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons
  • The Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons
  • The British Medical Association
  • The British Obesity Surgery Society
  • The Association of Endoscopic Surgeons (UK and Ireland)
  • The International Federation for Obesity Surgery

There are many associations that your surgeon can be associated with, it is most important that they have a registration number from the general medical council, and any other associations they are registered can demonstrate greater qualification. However you will not only look at they types of qualifications and associations your surgeon is a member, you should look at their experience with this type of procedure. This will determine as well their suitability for you, and whether they have had a good success rate in the past. The majority of websites representing private clinics will have a section which provides all of this information, however you should ask all of this information at a consultation as this will provide you will research which you can use when comparing surgeons.

What types of questions shall I ask the surgeon?

To draw up your own profile, you should enter a consultation with a specific list of questions, this will help when you compare surgeons from different clinics. You should first off ask where your surgeon trained? How long they have specialised in weight loss surgery? You could also ask how many duodenal switch procedures they have performed, and the outcomes of the procedures. You may ask to see a list of associations the surgeon is registered with, as well as requesting to see the number given to them when they registered with the medical council. You can ask about the specialist team the clinic will provide you with and how they have been trained, as they are just as important as your surgeon. You cod also ask how your team including the surgeon would deal with any complications which may occur from your procedure, as well as how in the past they have dealt with any complications if they have occurred.

Surgeons Abroad

Ensuring surgeons abroad are experienced and qualified can often be quite difficult, however the majority of websites offer profiles of all of their surgeons and detailed descriptions as to how they have been trained, what experience they have, and to what associations they are registered with. Like surgeons in the UK, surgeons abroad will be required to have membership with specific associations; these will of course vary from country to country, but can easily be identified when looking online. You will find it hard to determine answers to specific questions when considering the procedure abroad, however some clinics offer a telephone service prior to your operation, and others will offer a chargeable consultation within the UK. You can therefore ask specific questions with regards to their experience and success rate, as well as their training, It is advisable that you do this as it will really assist in making a decision on whether gong abroad is an option you wish to consider.

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