We use four criteria to determine if you should have weight loss surgery. First we check the BMI – you need to have a BMI above 30. Second, we check that you have problems related to your weight – health problems, physical and social limitations or concern about your future health and life expectancy. Next, we check that you have made significant efforts to lose weight by the usual non-surgical methods. Finally, we want to be sure you can work with us as partners to achieve the weight loss. The surgery helps but we cannot achieve the best outcomes without you doing your part.

This is a normal clinical consultation, not much different from a consultation for any medical problem. We take a history of the problem. Usually we have asked you to fill out a Patient Information profile beforehand which gives us much of the background detail that we need.

You will be asked to post this back to us well before your appointment and the details are added to our LapBase software program. We will usually have arranged for you to have a group of blood tests. We will review those during the consultation. Once this is complete, if you are clear that you wish to proceed and we are happy that we can help you then we discuss the procedure and generally will pick a date for it to be performed. Typically this would be 4-6 weeks ahead. There is a little bit of paperwork to complete and some organisational details but otherwise you are set to go. Usually, all of this is completed on your first visit.