Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility is assessed clinically. It considers body mass index, obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea, what you have already tried, your general health and fitness for anaesthesia, and your readiness for long-term follow-up.

BMI is a screening figure calculated from height and weight. It does not measure body composition, distribution of fat, or metabolic health, and it can misclassify very muscular people. It is a starting point for a conversation, not a diagnosis.

There is no single threshold that applies to everyone. Assessment looks at the whole clinical picture rather than one number.

Bariatric operations differ in how much they restrict stomach volume and how much they alter the route food takes and gut hormone signalling. That affects weight loss, effect on conditions such as diabetes, nutritional consequences and specific risks. The bariatric surgery page explains the principles.

A swallowable gastric balloon placed without surgery or endoscopy. See the Allurion Balloon page.

The platform, not the operation. It provides magnified three-dimensional vision, articulated instruments and tremor filtering. The surgeon controls every movement. See robotic bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery is well established and performed routinely, but it is still surgery and carries genuine risks including bleeding, infection, blood clots, anaesthetic complications and procedure-specific complications. Your individual risk depends on your health and the procedure, and is discussed before any decision.

Some procedures cannot be reversed. Weight loss itself is not permanent by default — regain is possible, particularly without follow-up and sustained dietary change.

This depends on the procedure and on you. Minimally invasive techniques generally mean a shorter hospital stay and quicker return to activity than open surgery. Follow the specific plan your team gives you rather than a general timeline.

Eating progresses in supervised stages — liquids, then soft textures, then regular foods. Long term, meals are smaller, protein matters more, and hydration needs attention.

After bariatric surgery, generally yes, with periodic blood tests to monitor levels.

Some people consider it after significant weight loss, and some do not. It is a separate decision, usually considered only once weight has been stable.

Follow-up appointments, blood tests, nutritional guidance and lifestyle support are part of treatment rather than optional extras.

Then it should not be recommended. Medical weight management is a legitimate treatment pathway in its own right.

No. It is a swallowable gastric balloon, placed without surgery and without endoscopy or general anaesthesia, and it passes naturally after a set period. It is still a medical procedure and is only appropriate after assessment.

It is generally considered for people who want a non-surgical option, or whose weight and health profile do not make surgery the first choice. Whether it suits you depends on your medical history and goals, which is what the consultation establishes.

The balloon supports a period of change; it does not maintain the result by itself. What happens after it passes depends on nutrition, activity and follow-up. Weight regain is possible, as it is after any weight-loss treatment.

No. It is clinically supervised treatment that may combine assessment of metabolic health, structured nutrition, activity, behavioural support and, where appropriate, prescribed medication. It is reviewed and adjusted over time.

Medication can be an effective part of treatment for some people, but it is prescribed after assessment, monitored, and used alongside nutrition and activity rather than instead of them. It is not suitable for everyone.

Not as a rule. The pathways are not a ladder — the right starting point depends on your weight history, obesity-related conditions and what you have already tried. That is a clinical decision, made together.