Surgery for weight loss triples in five years

MORE than 15,000 dangerously obese Australians and New Zealanders are having weight loss surgery each year, compared with just 5000 in 2007.

MORE than 15,000 dangerously obese Australians and New Zealanders are having weight loss surgery each year, compared with just 5000 in 2007.

The Obesity Surgery Society says the issue costs the nation $8 billion per year and is one of our biggest health concerns.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 25 per cent of adults and about 8 per cent of children in Australia are obese.

Society of Australia and New Zealand president, Associate Professor Wendy Brown, said the popularity of procedures such as lap bands was likely to continue to rise but warned it was a last resort, not a quick fix.

"People need to have tried everything else before they subject themselves to it," she said.

The society estimates only about 5 to 7 per cent of obese Australians would benefit from weight loss surgery - which costs between $10,000 and $20,000.

The surge in operations - mostly lap band procedures - has prompted the establishment of a trans-Tasman registry to monitor the safety and effectiveness of the procedures. 

Delegates at the society's annual scientific meeting in Darwin were told the Bariatric Surgery Registry would fill a "significant information gap" in the wake of the recent breast implant scare.

It would track the performance of hospitals and surgeons and any implanted devices such as lap bands.

"It's really important to establish a registry because we really need to know what the risks are into the future," Associate Prof Brown said.

The registry, which is currently being piloted in Victoria, would also track the impact of procedures on obesity-related health conditions including type 2 diabetes.

Bariatric surgeons use banding to reduce the capacity of the patient's stomach.

Most operations are performed in private hospitals at cost of up to $20,000 depending on the procedure and surgeon and private health insurance rebates.

University of Adelaide Professor of Surgery Guy Maddern and Australian Medical Association president Dr Steve Hambleton agree the creation of a registry is important for monitoring purposes.

Prof Maddern said it must include data from all weight loss procedures to compare the effectiveness of procedures.

"Many people save up and have the procedure done, but then the complications are addressed in the public system," Prof Maddern said.

"A registry must capture all of that."

Prof Maddern said weight loss surgery was known to be the most effective tool in beating the bulge, but prevention was more important.

"It's not just about operations, it's also about lifestyle changes which are really difficult to do," he said.

"Surgery still is the most effective way of reducing people's weight. It is the best method, but clearly it's not the one we should be aspiring to."

Rachel Glennie, 36, had successful lap band surgery seven years ago.

She had an infection that caused her recovery to take an extra two weeks.

At 29, Ms Glennie topped the scales at 130kg and felt something needed to be done.

"I tried everything else; I tried different diets ... and nothing really worked for me," she said.

Now, the Morphett Vale woman is more confident and healthier having lost 50kg since the operation.

"Now, I can only really have a small-sized plate of food."