Laparoscopic banding at UPMC Beacon Hospital
The weight loss (bariatric) surgery programme at UPMC Beacon Hospital in Dublin offers laparoscopic gastric banding, within the BMI range of 35 to 55, to help you lose weight. We aim to provide a high level of individualised care with the team dedicated to help you achieve your goals. We believe that bariatric surgery should only be performed within a hospital environment with a full range of facilities to ensure that your care is of the very highest medical standard. UPMC Beacon Hospital is equipped with the very latest in technology, facilities, and medical care is available across all relevant disciplines.
Please read and study the information available in this website to be sure that lap gastric banding may be the correct option for you to consider. Of course you may require further details before deciding to go ahead and by making an appointment to meet the team you can be sure that you have all your questions or doubts addressed before making any commitment.
How do I start the process to be seen at the Bariatric Surgery Clinic at UPMC Beacon Hospital?
Calculate your body mass index (BMI) and check the criteria for suitability for surgery.
If you feel that you would like to make an appointment for the clinic, contact your GP first and seek a medical referral
that can be faxed to the clinic on
01 293 8641 or sent by post.
We feel that it is important to make any decision about your weight and health in conjunction with your GP as there may be circumstances when referral would be inappropriate. Once we receive your GP referral letter we will send you an appointment. If you wish to change this appointment or make any enquiries please telephone 01 293 8691.
What happens next?
When you attend the clinic you will meet the Nurse Specialist, Patricia Madden, the Dietician, Margaret Donoghue, and your Surgeon, Robert Stuart. You will spend about 90 minutes at the first clinic visit. The better prepared you are when you come to the clinic the better this process works. A decision will be made with you about your suitability for bariatric surgery and lap banding in particular. Your surgery will be booked for a time that suits you but you need a minimum of 3 - 4 weeks to prepare yourself adequately.
Your safety is of the utmost importance to us, and the decision to go ahead with anaesthesia and surgery sometimes needs to be deferred until after further evaluation of your medical risk is undertaken. For example if we suspect you might have sleep apnoea or a high risk of ischaemic heart diease, we may request that your GP investigates this further before we see you again at the clinic for a final decision to be made.
If your BMI is > 50 or you demonstrate a poor understanding of the need to work in partnership with your lap band we may ask you to work with us for 2 - 3 months in order to better prepare yourself for what lies ahead. By losing some weight before surgery you may make the surgery safer for yourself.
Your GP will always be informed of the consultation and any decisions made. You will be asked to attend your GP for a series of blood tests and the results faxed through to the clinic.
