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News - St John Hospital, Vanderhoof British Columbia Canada |
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| St John Hospital |
| Hospital ponders cutting fat |
| Date : - 15/04/2012 |
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Canberra Hospital is considering offering weight-loss surgery such as gastric banding for the first time in response to the ACT's growing levels of obesity.
The hospital has formed an obesity network of clinicians working with obese patients and researchers investigating the condition from the Australian National University and University of Canberra, and will investigate whether surgical intervention should be made available publicly in the ACT. Currently bariatric, or weight loss, surgery is only available in the private sector. It includes gastric lap bands and sleeves.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics about 66.8 per cent of Canberrans are overweight or obese. One in four is considered obese, with the ACT the fourth-fattest state or territory after Western Australia (70 per cent), NSW (68.6 per cent) and Queensland (68.5 per cent).
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Chronic Disease Management director Paul Dugdale said the interest network was formed to improve the quality of care obese patients received, as well as improve research and professional education into the condition.
It has also been established as a result of the prevalence of the condition in Canberra, he said.
Dr Dugdale said the hospital had not performed this form of surgery in the past because of the associated risks and serious side effects. But the continuing evolution of the procedure and technological improvements meant it was now a lot safer.
''It's quite a job to build an obesity service and bariatric surgery could be a component of that, but it's got to be just part of the solution,'' Dr Dugdale said.
He said the focus for clinicians and patients should not be on losing weight, but on eating better and getting fitter.
Canberra Bariatric, a specialist centre for metabolic and bariatric surgery in Deakin, performs weight-loss surgery on patients with BMIs of more than 40, or 35 if there are additional health problems. The centre's Sue Gosman said there was enough demand in Canberra for three or four procedures each week. Children cannot receive the surgery.
A Health Directorate spokeswoman said the development of a bariatric surgery service would only be considered after all patient safety issues had been addressed.
This would include the establishment of a full obesity service. |
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| Reference : - www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hospital-ponders-cutting-fat-20120414-1x0ps.html0 |
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