Gastric Bypass Surgeons

You may feel nervous with regards to going ahead with the surgery; this is completely natural and understandable. Whichever path you go down for the procedure your anxiety and any worries you may have will be dealt with by the health clinic you chose to complete your surgery.  The weight loss surgeons also referred to as bariatric surgeons who will be performing your surgery will be qualified to a high standard in all clinics across the UK and abroad. Many clinics will offer you a description on the qualifications and experience of most of their surgeons, and you will at any time be welcome to read the information. It is often provided for you online and is easily accessible; however you will need to look for specific information within the text with regards to qualifications.

Types Of Qualifications

All surgeons will need to have completed a medical degree as well as a specific amount of time studying in their area of specific interest, in this case in the weight loss area. The main criteria you will need to look for is that the surgeon is registered with specific associations, the main association is The General Medical Council, the surgeon, when registered, will have a number which represents them on that register, ensure that your surgeon is registered. The surgeon will also need to have specific certificates which demonstrate that they have completed training with regards to surgery. There are many associations which your surgeon may be a member of, these include:


  • The Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons
  • The British Medical Association
  • The British Obesity Surgery Society
  • The Association of Endoscopic Surgeons (UK and Ireland)
  • The International Federation for Obesity Surgery
  • The Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons

These are just a number of associations which may be listed on the qualifications department of clinics and surgeons. They will provide you with the information required as to what type of medical procedures surgeons have been trained at, if a surgeon belongs to any of these organisations it is a positive as it may offer you some reassurance as to what techniques they use, and whether their methods are contemporary.

What to Ask Your Bariatric Surgeon

It is important that when you come to having a consultation with your surgeon you have planned out what you will ask, there are specific questions you yourself might have which will assist in your choices and that will make you feel comfortable enough to go ahead with the procedure. However there are also some specific questions you should ask which will help you to determine the quality of your surgeon. Some examples of these questions could be:

  • Where and who trained you?
  • What qualifications do you have which deem you a qualified surgeon?
  • How many surgeries have you performed?
  • How much experience do you have in this area?
  • Have you ever had to deal with complications when performing this type of surgery?
  • How will you and your team help with not only my surgery but the aftercare and support I will need?

Both qualifications and experience are important when asking these questions at your consultation, you should look at all the qualifications your surgeon has, as well as to what associations they may be a member, and then you will need to look at the type of experience they may have had, as well as looking at how long they have been qualified for and their personal success rates. You will also need to remember that it is not just the surgeon you will be working with, you will also need to consider the specialist team the clinic will offer you.

The Specialist Team

When you go for a consultation with a clinic you will be offered a whole team of assistants who will help you throughout your procedure. These will include, of course a surgeon, but will also include a dietician, a nurse and an anaesthetist, they will also be able to offer you the service of other specialist’s such as psychologists when you require them. These people will assist you throughout and will offer you great support with lifestyle changes as well as physical changes. Again ensure you have specific questions mapped out that you can present to specific individuals at your consultation, most clinics offer free consultations so shopping around, so to speak, will work as an advantage to you; ensure you find a team you are comfortable with, both qualification wise as well as through their past performances.

Gastric Bypass Surgeons Abroad

Depending on which country you chose for surgery there will be a varying requirement that surgeons will need to meet qualifications wise. This may become confusing for you but you will need to ensure that you conduct the correct amount of research into the specific country that you chose for your surgery. A surgeon will require a Medical degree, as well as a certain amount of time spent studying in the specific area of interest, in this case bariatric surgery. Most countries will have specific associations similar to the UK where surgeons will need to be registered, for example in Italy you will need to be registered with the national association of doctors as well as being a member of specific organisations such as The Italian Society of Cosmetic Surgery. Again you will need to research into the team you will be offered for support, which may be slightly more complicated as you will need to determine what aftercare you will receive in this country. It is much harder for clinics abroad to offer free consultations and usually these consultations take place the day before your procedure, or can be chargeable when the surgeon visits the UK; some clinics may offer you a phone call with past patients so you can hear from them all about their experience. You will need to dedicate time to looking at everything the surgery and it’s medical staff can offer you before going ahead with the procedure, and you should find out as much information as you feel possible to be comfortable with your choice.

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