Gravitas opens clinic in Belfast to help address Northern Ireland's growing obesity problem

October 31, 2010

It will be the first time that a team of acknowledged experts in bariatric surgery, anaesthesia, nursing and dietetics has had a presence in Northern Ireland, where 60% of adults have a weight problem and as many as one in five adults is obese, according to research. Previously patients had to travel to clinics in the UK or overseas for weight loss surgery. Gravitas medical director Professor David Kerrigan said its Northern Ireland clinic had been opened in response to growing demand for world-class bariatric surgery in the country. “In the past, patients had to travel to England, Wales or Scotland or to countries such as Belgium, France and the Czech Republic for weight loss surgery, often with little or no aftercare provided,” he said. “By opening a clinic in Belfast, we will be able to provide patients with consultant led, critical life-long aftercare and support locally as well as surgery much closer to home.” Heading up the Gravitas team in Northern Ireland will be Andrew Kennedy, an experienced consultant upper GI surgeon specialising in laparoscopic bariatric surgery. “Bariatric surgery is just the first step in a journey towards weight-loss,” he said. “The secret of good long-term weight loss rests on the strength of the partnership between the patient and the bariatric team. "All too often patients who travel overseas for cut-price surgery do not get the vital aftercare and support needed for a safe, successful outcome,” he added. “At Gravitas, we provide consultant-led follow-up locally with 24-hour emergency access. By working closely with our colleagues in primary care, we ensure excellent outcomes, significantly better than those generally reported in most European centres.” According to a report produced by the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Health Committee, obesity levels could spiral to unmanageable levels in Northern Ireland unless a robust strategy is implemented. In 2008, 80 people were referred for surgery in England. As well as laparoscopic (keyhole) gastric band, gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy procedures, the Gravitas surgeons will provide gastric band adjustments and perform revisional surgery on patients whose initial surgery carried out elsewhere has not been successful. More complex procedures such as the duodenal switch will continue to be provided in Gravitas’ main Liverpool centre, with post-operative follow-up care in Belfast. Gravitas surgeons operate on both NHS and self-funded patients. Currently, Gravitas runs seven bariatric surgery units in the British Isles, including one at the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin.

More News