"It's not like someone will come to the hospital, operate and go. The patient must prepare well for bariatric surgery and life after it "- recommends in the video "OBESITY under SKALPEL" prof. dr hab. Krzysztof Paśnik, bariatric surgeon, president of the Society of Polish Surgeons. The spot is part of an educational campaign en titled "OBESITY under SKALPEL" on the subject of surgical treatment of obesity, carried out in Poland on the occasion of the European Obesity Day, which this year falls on May 19.
Nearly 2 million people under a scalpel
According to the HTA (He alth Technology Assessment) report and world studies, bariatric surgery is the most effective method of treating advanced obesity. Patients with obesity of the 2nd degree (body mass index BMI 35+) and diseases that are complications of this disease (e.g. type 2 diabetes, arterial hypertension, degeneration of joints) and 3rd degree obesity (BMI 40+) are referred to the treatment.
Four types of bariatric surgeries are performed in Poland. The most commonly used method is sleeve (sleeve) resection, followed by gastric by-pass. Bariatric surgeons also use a method that comes from Asia - the so-called mini gastric by-pass. An adjustable gastric band is worn the least frequently.
Annually, 2-3 thousand bariatric surgeries are performed in Poland. The hospitals that implement them estimate that approximately 1,200,000 Poles with 2nd degree obesity and approx. patients with III degree obesity.
To have some care …
From January 1, 2022, thanks to the activities of the Foundation of Obesity People OD-WAGA, bariatric surgeries in Poland are reimbursed by the National He alth Fund. The operations for which the Fund pays are carried out by approximately 30 hospitals. And each of them has its own diagnostic procedure before and monitoring the patient after the procedure. Not every facility has a team of dietitians, physiotherapists and psychologists to support patients.
- We are now trying to create a nationwide, uniform system of patient care before and after bariatric surgeries. We want people who have decided to undergo the procedure to be sure that they will receive the same help regardless of the city in which they will be bariatric surgery - says Magdalena Gajda, President of the OD-WAGA Foundation, SpołecznyOmbudsman for People with Obesity.
The operation is the beginning
Bariatric surgeons and their teams are supported by the CHLO Bariatric Patients Association by creating patient Support Groups at hospitals with bariatric wards. Such groups already operate in Kraków, Warsaw, Białystok, Olsztyn and Rzeszów. Thanks to them, patients can consult specialists on an ongoing basis and exchange their own experiences.
- Bariatric surgery is a major surgical intervention. You need to be well prepared for it in terms of diet, movement and emotion. When deciding on such a procedure, the patient must be aware that this is the beginning of obesity treatment. The operation helps to reduce body weight. After it, you must learn to control obesity, just like any chronic disease, says Gajda, who underwent gastric by-pass surgery 8 years ago and her weight has remained at the level of 75 kg. Before the operation, she weighed 136 kg.
What do you know about bariatric surgery?
Of the huge group of nearly 2 million obese patients who require surgical treatment of obesity, many still seek information on bariatric surgery. A special educational campaign was created for them. "OBESITY UNDER SKALPEL", which is part of the Polish celebration, falling on May 19 - European Obesity Day.
www.poradnikzdrowie.pl / bariatrics is a website with information on all aspects of bariatric surgery. There you will find advice from surgeons and tips from nutritionists, physiotherapists and psychologists on preparation for and life after bariatric surgery. The website also features educational infographics and videos, including a documentary "40 kg", the protagonist of which is Michał - one of the obese patients of the Military Medical Institute at ul. Szaserów in Warsaw.
The action "Obesity under the scalpel" is carried out under the patronage of: the Society of Polish Surgeons - Section of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Polish Society for Obesity Research with the support of Medtronic Polska and the Obesity Patients Foundation OD-WAGA.
OD-WAGA Foundation