With more people opting for weight loss surgeries, studying the long term effects of such operations is justified. Keeping this a priority, experts from the University of Glasgow are on the path to unleash the effects of bariatric surgeries undertaken to lose weight.
The analysis will unfold the clinical results of bariatric surgery undertaken in Scotland more than a decade back. This surgery involves a set of processes formulated to aid obese patients shed kilos either by limiting their stomach size or enabling less food to be absorbed. The surgery can adopt different modes such as gastric banding, gastric bypass surgery or sleeve gastrectomy.
Though, the benefits in terms of weight loss and lower risk for illnesses such as diabetes look promising, these are often the short-term effects. The influences of such operations in the long run has not been touched upon by many.
Dr Jennifer Logue, Clinical Lecturer in Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, who will be leading the analysis quoted, “This will be one of the largest and most in depth studies of the effects of bariatric surgery and we’re confident our results will have relevance to healthcare professionals across the world.”
This study will constitute data from all NHS and private sector surgeons and a new IT-based clinical information mechanism will keep a tab on a minimum of 2000 patients who underwent surgery and have enrolled for the trial. They will participate for a span of 5 years along with a follow-up of 10 years. The scientists will also calculate the death rates during this time frame and comprehend the reasons for the same.
The team has plans of tracking the patients’ experiences due to complications in the surgery or health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, nutritional deficiencies and fractures will also be examined. While patients will move on with their normal face to face check-ups, the IT system will automatically update the scientists on the status of the patients.
The outcomes of the study will help the scientists gauge who are the persons responding best to bariatric surgeries and who are prone to encounter complications in the process.