HOW I SHED 40 KG
MORE than a year after weight loss surgery Bannockburn resident Sarah Bath, pictured, is almost unrecognisable. The 26-year-old who once tipped the scales at 104 kilograms has a new lease on life, having left behind joint pain, shortness of breath and constant heartburn following gastric sleeve surgery. Ms Bath, now an energetic netballer, has a spring in her step after shedding 40 kilograms in 10 months post surgery. “The surgery has been life-changing, the procedure really did save me. I’m a lot more confident now and it’s great to be able to go into a shop and buy clothes that actually fit,” Ms Bath who now weighs 64 kilograms said. After progressively stacking on weight since finishing high school, Ms Bath said she tried a range of diets with little success. As the possibility of contracting diabetes and a hereditary heart condition bore down on her, Ms Bath decided to have surgery in late 2015. “I had a few girlfriends who had the surgery before I did so I was able to see the benefits it could bring.” During the procedure Ms Bath had the majority of her stomach cut out in an attempt to reduce an insatiable appetite. Ms Bath said the side effects post surgery have been minor.
“The only thing really is that my hair gets a bit weak — everyone I know that has had the surgery said the same thing.
“I do get extremely cold now, I never felt the cold so much before I lost weight.”
At St John of God private hospital, Geelong surgeons have completed more than 150 weight loss surgeries in the past year.
Most common is the sleeve gastrectomy, also known as a gastric sleeve procedure, with patients expected to lose up to 60 per cent excess weight in less than two years.
The other preferred method of weight loss surgery, a gastric bypass involves a two-hour procedure to make the stomach into a small pouch.
The left-over part of the original stomach is joined to the middle part of the small intestine.
In recent years lap band surgery has lost its appeal, with the procedure requiring major lifestyle changes to attain weight loss.
Bariatric surgeon George Kalogeropoulos said candidates for weight loss surgery had often failed terms of supervised weight loss.
“We find that (weight loss) surgery has a remarkable effect on patient’s lives. I haven’t had one patient regret having surgery because we carefully select and manage them,” Mr Kalogeropoulos said.
The weight of the patients referred for weight loss surgery varies but their body mass index usually sits between 35 and 40, which is considered obese.