Obesity surgery saved my life
[Published: Saturday 7, April 2007 - 09:52]
By William Allen
The 37st Londonderry man doomed to die from obesity before an apron of fat was removed by surgeons told yesterday how his life has been transformed.
Patrick Broadbent said his quality of life had dramatically improved and he is using public transport for the first time in 20 years. Saying that there were many other people in Ulster at risk because they are dangerously overweight, he called for more money to be invested in the health service to provide life-saving operations here.
There were grave fears for his health before Mr Broadbent (39) travelled to St James' Hospital in Leeds in October 2005 to have the fat removed by specialist obesity surgeon Steve Pollard.
While his recovery was slow and painful, he lost 13st, and Mr Broadbent said yesterday the agony was worthwhile.
The Derryman will find out later this year if he is to receive a gastric bypass to reduce his stomach, but he said: "I'm doing fine and I'm in no rush at the minute. I'm not what I want to be, but there's a big improvement.
" After the operation I had 300 staples in for four or five months. It was a very stressful time, going away for the operation and then the recovery period.
"It took a year to recover and I'm waiting now for a gastric bypass. I have to go back in July to Leeds. But it was all worthwhile. I'm getting out and I'm using buses now that I wasn't on for 15 or 20 years."
While surgeons in the province are capable of carrying out gastric bypass operations, the Telegraph previously revealed that they do not have the funding or surgical resources to do them.
Obese Ulster people are shelling out thousands of pounds going abroad for fat-reducing operations they could have here if funding was available.
Mr Broadbent said other people had to go to England or to Belgium for operations, which he believes could be carried out in Belfast, and this creates more stress on patients and causes more distress for their families.
"The facilities are here. Surely it would be easier to bring surgeons here where they could treat a number of people, rather than send people away with the extra stress this causes," he said.
Mr Pollard, whose expertise is sought all over the world, specialises in gastric bypass fat-reducing surgery and has hundreds of patients on his waiting list.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2430332.ece]Obesity Surgery[/url]
for those who don't know, 13 stones is the equivalent of 182lbs or 82.5kg :eek4: :eek4: :eek4: :eek4: That must have been a fairly large apron!!!
He's back on the right track, and hopefully his surgery goes well for him!