University Hospital Zurich
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German Hospital Service
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Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust
162 City Road London, Greater London (UK)
Flinders Medical Centre
Flinders Drive, Bedford Park South Australia (Australia)
Hospital ponders cutting fat
Canberra Hospital is considering offering weightloss surgery such as gastric banding for the first time in response to the ACTs growing levels of obesity
The hospital has formed an obesity network of clinicians working with obese patients and researchers investigating the condition from the Australian National University and University of Canberra and will investigate whether surgical intervention should be made available publicly in the ACT Currently bariatric or weight loss surgery is only available in the private sector It includes gastric lap bands and sleeves
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics about 668 per cent of Canberrans are overweight or obese One in four is considered obese with the ACT the fourthfattest state or territory after Western Australia 70 per cent NSW 686 per cent and Queensland 685 per cent
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Chronic Disease Management director Paul Dugdale said the interest network was formed to improve the quality of care obese patients received as well as improve research and professional education into the condition
It has also been established as a result of the prevalence of the condition in Canberra he said
Dr Dugdale said the hospital had not performed this form of surgery in the past because of the associated risks and serious side effects But the continuing evolution of the procedure and technological improvements meant it was now a lot safer
Its quite a job to build an obesity service and bariatric surgery could be a component of that but its got to be just part of the solution Dr Dugdale said
He said the focus for clinicians and patients should not be on losing weight but on eating better and getting fitter
Canberra Bariatric a specialist centre for metabolic and bariatric surgery in Deakin performs weightloss surgery on patients with BMIs of more than 40 or 35 if there are additional health problems The centres Sue Gosman said there was enough demand in Canberra for three or four procedures each week Children cannot receive the surgery
A Health Directorate spokeswoman said the development of a bariatric surgery service would only be considered after all patient safety issues had been addressed
This would include the establishment of a full obesity service
Date : 15 Apr, 2012
Reference : http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hospital-ponders-cutting-fat-20120414-1x0ps.html0