Obesity surgery in France

Sam Evans, aged 30, from Bristol had a Gastric band operation in July 2003 after reaching the lowest point in her life as she weighed 196 kilos and suffered from chronic reflux disease which resulted in very bad heartburn even though she was on maximum medication.  At night acid would run out of the corners of her mouth and burn her lips and despite being told by surgeons that she needed surgery to correct the problems with her stomach they also said that with her weight it wouldn’t be possible.

Her GP began a battle for some sort of weight reduction surgery on her behalf and after numerous letters and e-mails to and from the Primary Care Trust it was decided that they wouldn’t fund any surgery as they considered that she didn’t have enough need.  Sam began researching weight loss surgery herself but hit a brick wall when quotes for gastric band surgery ranged from £7,500 to £10,000, and this depended on Sam finding a surgeon willing to do the operation for her.  Finally she stumbled upon an article in Woman magazine about a lady who had had this operation in France so Sam made some enquiries and decided to book her operation through De Montagnac Consultants (GBS International) less than a month later.  

Sam’s operation with Dr Frering in Lyon via The Gastric Band Service International, cost her £4,200.  Because Sam was considered ‘too fat to fly’, she took the train from Bristol to London Waterloo to get the Eurostar to Lille then another train to Dr Frering’s surgery in Lyon.  In total her operation, travel and hotel cost £4,700 and this included first class tickets with Eurostar for Sam, her sister and mother and six days in a luxury hotel. 

She said:  “The whole process was trouble-free, everybody was very kind and helpful from De Montagnac to Dr Frering and all the other hospital staff.  I was never made to feel fat and stupid and even the hospital gowns and TED stockings fitted.  My recovery was quick, but better still my heartburn was immediately 90% better and I was able to half my dose of medication.  I started to lose weight straight away and three months down the line I was 21 kilos lighter, feeling like a completely different person.  I don’t think I have enough words to express how happy I am with my surgery.  Hopefully I will now prove my doctor wrong who once said to me that I wouldn’t make ‘old bones’!”

Post Operative care is essential and Sam has her band adjusted on a regular basis at BUPA hospital, Bristol.

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