To enable us to provide a quick response when you need it most, we have developed these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). We kindly ask you to read through these before contacting our team as you may find the answer to your question here. We cover questions to do with your referral, video appointments, life post surgery and many more common queries.
If, after reading these FAQs, you still need help with a specific question, please contact us and we will endeavour to respond. We hope this will improve our ability to answer clinical questions more efficiently and provide you with a better service.
For queries related to other departments, please contact them directly. Relevant contact details can be found throughout this document but the most common contacts you will need are as follows:
| Team | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|
| Bariatric Admin Team | uclh. |
020 3456 2061 (option 4) |
| Bariatric Dietician Team | uclh. |
|
| Bariatric Psychology Team | uclh. |
|
| Bariatric Clinical Nurse Specialist Team | uclh. |
Please kindly use UCLH electronic referral services (ERS) to refer patients to the bariatric surgical pathway. If you need to follow up on the status of your referral, you can contact our admin team via uclh.
If you need to follow up on the status of your referral, you can contact our admin team via uclh.
Please kindly contact your GP who can advise on the next steps. We are currently not commissioned to provide weight loss medication and only offer a surgical pathway. This is a common reason as to why we would reject a referral.
UCLH is only commissioned to provide weight loss surgery. You will need to explore weight loss drugs before being referred to the bariatric surgery team. We will not see patients who are referred for use of weight loss drugs and your referral will be rejected.
Please kindly call the bariatric admin team on 020 3456 2061 (option 4) or send an email to uclh.
If you miss your appointment without informing us beforehand, you may receive a letter to say you have been discharged from our bariatric service back to the care of your GP. If this happens but you still want to be seen by the team, you need to speak to your GP about a new referral back into the service.
Please inform us in advance if you are unable to attend your appointment via uclh.
You can make changes to most demographic details e.g. if you move house or get a new phone number by updating the “personal information” section of the MyChart app. If you change GP, please inform us by emailing uclh.
We understand that there are times when you want to be seen sooner than the appointment we have given you. If this is the case, please contact the admin team on 020 3456 2061 (option 4) or send an email to uclh.
We strongly recommend that you sign up to MyChart as you will receive instant notifications regarding appointments and will be sent questionnaires relating to your condition via the app. MyChart is an app which can be downloaded onto your phone via MyCare UCLH. If you are having any issues accessing MyChart, please email uclh.
There will be times where we will send you questionnaires ahead of your appointments. Please take the time to complete these in advance. Failure to do so may lead to us discharging you back to the care of your GP.
We will also be sending you educational/information videos at different stages of the pathway. You will be expected to watch these videos in order to attend the subsequent appointment. Information on how to access the videos will be sent out in the letter prior to the appointment.
If you want to continue with bariatric surgery after the education session, a one stop appointment will be booked for you. If you do not want to proceed with surgery and a one stop appointment has been booked for you, please inform us in advance via 020 3456 2061 (option 4) or send an email to uclh.
During a one stop appointment, you will typically receive 3 different calls from a nurse, a dietician and a psychologist. You will need to complete questionnaires in advance of this session so please make sure you are signed up to MyChart (download here - MyCare UCLH). This helps the clinicians prepare for your appointment and should keep things as efficient as possible for you on the day.
You should make sure that you are available for up to 5 hours around your allocated time slot for one stop as you will be contacted by different healthcare professionals as part this. Please locate yourself in a quiet environment so that you can take the different calls.
We offer some video appointments via Zoom at certain stages on the bariatric pathway including for the first stage which is an education session and also for a surgical pre-assessment group session. This includes for education sessions (usually one of the first stages of the pathway) and or bariatric pre-surgery preassessment sessions.
To join the Bariatric surgery Pre-Assessment Group Session, which currently takes place on a Monday, please use the following link, inputting the meeting ID and passcode below:
Meeting ID: 851 8262 3067
Passcode: 483288
To attend the Bariatric Education Session, which usually takes place on a Thursday, please use the following link, inputting the meeting ID and passcode below
Meeting ID: 894 0269 7656
Passcode: 283248
Yes, please kindly contact the bariatrics admin team on 020 3456 2061 (option 4) or send an email to uclh.
If you are signed up to the MyChart app, you should be able to see a copy of your clinic letter on there. MyChart is an app which can be downloaded onto your phone via MyCare UCLH. If you are having any issues accessing MyChart, please email uclh.
If you need a letter from the doctors in charge of your care, please contact the admin team on 020 3456 2061 (option 4) or send an email to uclh.
There are very limited parking options for patients at UCLH except for those with a blue badge/disabled permit. For more information, visit the following link about getting to the hospital. You will find information about other ways to travel to the hospital and other private car parks in the surrounding area.
Some patients are eligible for patient transport. You can contact UCLH transport team via 020 3456 7010 or uclh.
Waiting times vary depending on the volume of referrals and the availability of our clinicians. The normal waiting time for surgery following your referral is up to one year.
If you have long-term health conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes, it’s important that these are well controlled before your surgery. If you are under the care of a specialist at another hospital, please email us a copy of your most recent clinic letter via uclh.
We strongly recommend stopping smoking before surgery, as smoking can increase the risks during and after your operation. Helpful advice and support can be found on the Breathe – Stop Smoking London website.
We also screen for obstructive sleep apnoea at your One-Stop appointment. If you are considered at risk, we will send you a remote sleep study test. Please follow the instructions carefully and return the test to us as soon as possible, so that we can take steps to treat this condition before surgery and make your operation safer.
If it has been more than 2 years since your bariatric surgery, please contact your GP for medical advice or to be re-referred to our service. You can also call 111 for advice or attend your local A&E department if this is severe.
If you have had surgery within the past 2 years, you will still be under our care and you should inform the admin team via uclh.
Yes, whilst your stomach is healing we will make you progress through eating different textures over the 6 weeks after surgery. The information on texture modification will be provided to you when you attend the pre-assessment remote group video session with the dietitian prior to your surgery. You will be provided with written information regarding this with your appointment letter for this session. You will also go through recommended vitamins and minerals supplements and 'Dietary Golden Principles' for Bariatric Surgery during this session.
Yes, it is expected to have some pain for a week or two after surgery, but if it gets worse than that, contact your GP, call 111 or attend your local accident and emergency department.
Yes, only after a sleeve gastrectomy but not after a gastric bypass operation.
You need about 4- 6 weeks, to allow the wounds to heal before travelling.
It is not advisable to fast in the first 12 -18 months after bariatric surgery, but if in doubt please kindly contact your GP.
Pregnancy should not be planned until weight is stable – usually after the first 12 -18 months, if unsure please contact your GP.
For some people, bariatric surgery can be done as a day case, meaning you can go home the same day. Some patients may also choose to stay at a nearby hotel post-surgery. Your surgeon or specialist nurse will let you know if this is a safe option for you.
Like every other surgical procedure, there are risks associated, although complications for weight loss surgery is low. Your surgeon will talk these risks through with you ahead of surgery so that you can make informed decisions as to the next steps in your care.
You are allowed to attend surgery with a family member to support you. They will need to wait in the visitor areas whilst you are having surgery.
No specific amount of weight loss is guaranteed. If you follow the dietary advice provided and exercise regularly you could expect to lose up to 50-70% of your excess weight. Your body will respond in its own unique way to bariatric surgery and hence you will have your own weight loss trajectory.
Wound healing can vary from person to person, but it usually takes between 2 to 6 weeks to heal completely. If you have any concerns regarding how your wounds are healing, please see your GP or attend a walk-in centre to have it looked at.
We recommend avoiding alcohol completely for the 6 months after surgery. Alcohol enters the blood stream quickly and can cause unwanted effects. After this 6-month period, keep alcohol consumption within sensible limits.
Normally, you should have a nurse post operative appointment 7-10 days after discharge. You should then have another follow up appointment within 4-6 weeks. If you are feeling unwell immediately after surgery, please kindly contact your GP, call 111 or attend A&E for any urgent attention.
For more information on Bariatric Surgery at UCLH, please kindly watch the below four information videos. Each video lasts for approximately 16 minutes.
