Rise in demand for weight-loss surgery

NEW figures for the region show a big increase in the number of operations on dangerously overweight patients and a doubling of outpatient appointments.

Following a national decision to step up operations on grossly obese patients, the bariatric surgery unit, at Sunderland Royal Hospital, has seen an increase in patient numbers.

The numbers are growing so rapidly that surgeons are having to train more colleagues to cope with demand.

During 2007-8 the unit carried out 208 operations ? at a cost of between £5,000 and £8,000 a time ? to reduce the weight of grossly obese patients.  Click here for full article.