Patient Journey for Weight Loss Surgery

FREE consultation

Mr Li provides free remote or face to face consultations which are available both during the day and in the evenings.

During the consultation, Mr Li will enquire about your previous medical and surgical history (both physical and mental), current health issues, medications, allergies, smoking and alcohol intake. He will also enquire about your home and work commitments, lifestyle, and eating behaviours, previous dieting, height and weight, and weight loss expectations and goals. He will also ask you of your preferred choice of weight loss treatment.

It is extremely important that you feel comfortable to fully disclose all relevant information and that any additional information from either a hospital specialist or GP may be forwarded as appropriate. This assessment forms the first step to ensure safe anaesthesia and surgery and will allow Mr Li to assess and advise which approach would be best for you in an all-encompassing and holistic manner – whether that will be ongoing lifestyle measures with diet, exercise and counselling, medical weight management (injectable medicines) or any of the current routinely available endoscopic and surgical options.

Mr Li will outline the potential hazards, limitations and relative merits of each option including the peri-operative and longer term risk of complications. Not all routinely available options will necessarily be suitable for you. Of course, he will offer his advice based on his extensive and unrivalled experience and expertise but you are at free will to make your own decisions regarding your choice of weight loss surgery or treatment.

Importantly, he will offer the opportunity of answer any questions which you may have and at the conclusion of your consultation, you will hopefully both agree the best surgical or non-surgical option for you.

If eligible for surgery, your options will be discussed with you. If at this point you are deemed suitable for surgery and you wish to proceed you will liaise with Claire, Mr Li’s personal assistant, regarding costs, dates and timing of surgery.

Weight Loss Manchester

Booking your surgery

If you decide to proceed with surgery Claire will support and guide you through this process. She will discuss dates, costs, locations and the appointments that are required prior to surgery. She will also send you a comprehensive list of documents to read to support your decision-making process. Should you any further questions, Claire would be happy to book a further consultation with Mr Li for you.

It is very important that you engage with your family, carers and relatives in addition to your General Practitioner at the earliest opportunity. Their support is invaluable and they will help you through this journey.

Pre-op Appointments

Prior to your surgery you will have 3 to 4 additional appointments.

1. Specialist Bariatric Nurse and/or Dietitian Call

As part of the pre-operative work up you will also have a telephone consultation and assessment with our bariatric nurse specialist or dietitian in order to prepare you for your pre-surgery diet (LRD) and what is required in advance of your operation e.g. smoking cessation and medication in liquid form, where appropriate.

You will also have information regarding what is to be expected of you once you have had your weight loss surgery e.g. post op diet, exercise and mobilisation and this provides an opportunity for you to ask any questions related to your specialist surgery for either during the pre or post-operative period.

2. General nurse pre-op assessment

This is completed by the nurse from the hospital where you are having your surgery. At this appointment, the nurse completes a detailed medical assessment and provides valuable additional information regarding your surgery.

3. Hospital Appointment

An appointment will be arranged for you to attend the hospital where your surgery will be performed, to have your blood tests taken, clinical observations measured (i.e. height, weight, blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation), and as indicated, a lung function test and an ECG performed (a tracing of your heart).
NB: Other investigations may need to be performed depending on your medical history.
This appointment usually occurs approximately the week prior to surgery.

Liver reduction diet / Pre-operative diet

Each patient will be required to follow a pre-operative / liver reduction diet. The purpose of this diet is to reduce the liver size and bulkiness to make the procedure easier and safer. It will also help you adjust much more easily to the 6 week post-operative diet. The length of time you will need to follow the pre-operative diet is usually determined by your BMI. You will be advised about this by Mr Li or the Specialist Bariatric nurse.

Day of surgery

You will be admitted on the day of surgery. The time of admission and fasting instructions are usually confirmed at your nurse pre-op assessment. On admission, you arrive at the hospital reception and you will be guided to your room. You will be admitted by a ward nurse and your surgery time will be confirmed.

Prior to surgery you will meet with the anaesthetist and Mr Li will see you to take your signed consent. Following surgery you will remain an inpatient for approximately 24 hours unless you are having a pre-planned day case operation. The typical length of hospital stay is 1 night (occasionally 2). You will be assessed by the surgeon or specialist bariatric nurse prior to discharge. Please ensure that prior to discharge home, you have been given the contact numbers to call in the event of any problems after your surgery. Should you require a sick note on discharge please ask a member of ward staff who will supply you with one.

Bariatric Surgeon

Post-operative follow up call

Approximately 2 to 3 days following discharge from hospital you will be called by the specialist bariatric nurse. She will assess how you are recovering from surgery and this will provide an opportunity for you to ask any questions that you may have. At this point you will be reminded of the contact details of the bariatric team and the hospital if you require any assistance/advice.

Weight Loss - Aftercare and Support

Multi-disciplinary team follow up appointments

Your after-care package runs for up to two years from your day of surgery. This will involve either face to face or remote appointments with the bariatric team, including the surgeon. The bariatric team comprises of the Specialist bariatric nurse, health care assistant and dietitian. Each hospital’s aftercare schedule will differ slightly, but generally you will have follow-up appointments at 6 weeks, then at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after your surgery. Appointments may be arranged more frequently if required, each team provides an individualised approach.

Mr Li believes in an open door policy, in that should you have any queries or concerns in the future you can contact his personal assistant Claire to arrange an appointment.

Access to weight loss support group

This group comprises of patients at various stages in their weight loss surgery journey and members of the multi-disciplinary team. The sessions can be free form or follow a particular theme or topic. They are very much patient driven. Examples of previous sessions include an evening with Mr Rob Winterton (plastic surgeon), a Yoga session, meal preparation, sleep advice, trouble shooting, and patient journeys.

Need more information?

Arrange a free consultation

To arrange a FREE remote or face-to-face consultation, please complete the contact form, email us or call using the numbers below:

Contact Us

Mon – Fri 8am -5pm

Claire Jenkinson
PA
07851 980363
claire@medsecs.co.uk

Samantha Dickson
Nurse Specialist
07950 447490
sam@alanlisurgery.com

Surgery Eligibility

Check if you are eligible for surgery using the BMI Calculator