A better question is, what is the cost of not having surgery?
A recent article in the Lancet medical journal looked at this question by looking at 174,000 patients with severe obesity who did or didn’t have bariatric surgery. Over 5, 10, 15 and 20+ years those who had bariatric surgery vs those having non-surgical treatments had a 50% less chance of dying.
Patients with diabetes who had bariatric surgery lived almost a decade longer than those who didn’t, which makes sense because yearly “premature deaths” are over 3 x more common in diabetics than non-diabetics, and most people having bariatric surgery will go into remission of their diabetes.
People who chose surgery to treat their obesity live longer, but also they generally “live better”, as you would expect from losing a lot of weight and keeping it off.
Despite this, you might find yourself asking this question when you’re confronted with the out-of-pocket costs associated with weight loss surgery. Is it really worth it? Will it actually work? Will it really improve my health and life?
After 20 years of helping more than 5,000 patients living with obesity transform their lives, we can confidently say that weight loss surgery is currently the only effective treatment for long-term weight loss and management. But is it worth it? Let’s find out.
Less excess weight, less medical problems
The rumours are true. Losing weight is an effective treatment for a multitude of medical conditions that obesity can cause; diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, depression, sleep apnoea and cancer prevention (to name a few).
And weight loss surgery is the most effective method for someone living with obesity to lose weight and maintain that weight loss.
So although the journey to a healthier, better quality of life isn’t necessarily an easy one, when you lose weight, you will also find that a lot of the medical conditions that you were suffering from before are eased or go into remission completely. For us, that is always completely worth it.
Improved Quality of Life
With weight loss surgery comes huge changes. For someone to lose weight and maintain that weight loss, a new diet and active lifestyle needs to be adhered to. This isn’t always easy, breaking many years or even decades of previous habits.
But with hard work comes the rewards. As you begin to lose weight, you will notice many other areas of your life improve. You will be able to move easier and more often, you’ll sleep better. As your body is no longer struggling under the excess weight and is being fueled by nutritious foods, you will feel different from the inside out.
This all contributes to an overall improvement in quality of life as well as length of life. So not only are you adding years to your life by having surgery to treat obesity, but you are ensuring those years are spent in the best condition possible, making them as enjoyable as possible.
Cost of Surgery vs Cost of No Surgery
But is it really worth the cost? Well, yes. Weight loss surgery is a one-time cost that can save you thousands on your food costs, medical or medication bills over a lifetime.
All weight loss surgery procedures reduce the amount of food that you can consume, so naturally you will be eating less, and therefore spending less on food. Your long-term medical costs will reduce, and you will be more likely to maintain employment into your middle and late years. These savings can add up quickly, giving you a feeling of a positive return on your investment.
After surgery and weight loss you can begin to reap the health benefits, saving you from a lifetime of medical bills such as visiting specialists/doctors, medication, tests/scans, the list is endless, and so are the savings.
Is weight loss surgery worth it?
Weight loss surgery is a great tool to help you to lose weight. The hard work comes from you adhering to the changes afterwards. Is it worth it? If you ask any patients who have had surgery the commonest reply you will hear is “I wish I did it years earlier”. If you ask the weight loss surgeons here at Upper GI Surgery, each of them will tell you the reason they love doing what they do is that they get to witness the change that surgery offers their patients. Being able to see people transform into new, healthier, happier versions of themselves is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling work.
Weight loss surgery will be worth it to you if you are considering it for the right reasons. To improve your overall health, to become more active, to sleep better, or just to generally get more from life.
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