Patients consider weight loss surgery abroad after spending up to 7 years on public waiting list

PATIENTS ARE CONSIDERING going abroad for drastic weight loss surgery as the waiting list at one of the two public clinics in the country is so long.

The Centre for Obesity Management at St Columcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown is one of only two public clinics in Ireland that specialise in multi-disciplinary treatment for the disease.

Some patients have been left waiting for up to seven years, and say they have struggled to get answers about when they might be seen.

Meanwhile, their conditions are deteriorating and exacerbating other health issues.

It’s prompted some of those wait-listed to consider taking weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, or even going abroad for gastric band insertion.

Irish doctors have warned against the weight loss surgery, as travelling patients seem to be at a higher risk of dying due to complications because of lower standards of care. 

The Ireland East Hospital Group said it is “working with all obesity services in the community and hospitals to increase activity and reduce the current waiting times”.

‘I’ve tried everything’

Karen is in her 40s and was very active until she hurt her back in 2018. She’s since dealt with a bulging disc.

As a result, she has gained weight and struggled to lose it as physical activity can cause severe pain.

When Karen spoke to The Journal, she’d just returned to work after three weeks of sick leave as she was unable to walk due to the pain.

She was put on the waiting list for the obesity centre in 2019.

Five years later, she has yet to have a one-on-one appointment with a specialist.

She and 20 others were called to an information session at the clinic in May, where the various treatment options and processes were explained. It was her understanding that she would see a specialist not long after.

After contacting the centre multiple times and getting no direct response, she says she was eventually told that they aren’t taking on any new patients now due to a backlog.

Karen says there’s a stigma around obesity that makes it hard to access the right help. When she approached GPs over the years, she was told “eat less, exercise more”.

“I’ve done everything. I’ve done hypnosis, Slimming World, Unislim, all that sort of thing,” she said.

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She has seriously considered going to Turkey to get life-changing weight loss surgery so that she can put an end to the waiting, but her doctor would not support it, and now Karen is at a loss.

“My clinic was absolutely adamant that I was not to go to Turkey, and they weren’t willing to support it. But they’re also not willing to support the likes of, say, the weight loss drugs like ozempic.”

She said she’s aware that the other issues caused by obesity, such as extra pain, are only further straining the healthcare system – something she has no desire to do.

In a statement, the Ireland East Hospital Group said it recognises that obesity is a chronic disease requiring management across a person’s life.

“In 2023, funding was provided to set up and expand new obesity services. Services are now up and running in Dublin and Galway,” it said.

“The increased demand for these services and historically long waiting lists, means that it will take time for all patients on the lists to be seen and treated.”

Contrary to Karen’s experience, the hospital said it is prioritising getting in touch with people waiting a long time, reassessing their needs and offering treatment options as appropriate.

Seven years on a waiting list

Colette was in her 20s when she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which can affect insulin absorption. She has struggled with her weight ever since.

Now in her 50s and described as an “ideal candidate” for the obesity centre, she’s been on the waiting list for nearly eight years.

In the meantime, she’s tried various slimming clubs and has at different times lost significant amounts of weight.

But without the multidisciplinary medical care she needs to keep the weight off, Colette says she feels like “a failure”.

She also attended an information session at the centre earlier this year, where she met the “great team” of doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists and other specialists. She was told to send in a 10-day food diary, but after she did, she heard nothing back.

Upon following up numerous times, Colette says she was told they will get back to her once all the specialists look at her case.

She has since been referred to a Chronic Disease Management Programme for her obesity, which she says has been somewhat helpful.

According to figures by the HSE, 23% of people in Ireland are obese.

The HSE has a model of care for managing obesity which aims for a multi-disciplinary approach that encompasses various aspects of a person’s lifestyle, not just what they eat.

The model of care states that ”weight-based stigma and obesity discrimination will not be tolerated in the healthcare system”.

It also says it takes into account things like genetics and socioeconomic factors.

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