Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE COST OF surgeries carried out in public hospitals for the treatment of the morbidly obese increased by 50% to more than €1 million last year, according to new figures.
A total of 112 patients underwent procedures to surgically limit their food intake and reduce their weight at a cost of €1,029,908 during 2016.
The number of people undergoing such operations each year has more than doubled since 2010 as Ireland’s obesity crisis has worsened.
The country is now on course to become the fattest nation in Europe within the next decade, according to the WHO.
During the past eight years, more than €5.2 million has been spent on bariatric surgery – the term covering various types of procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity – for 637 patients in public hospitals.
The costly operations are designed to encourage weight loss by surgically altering the process of digestion or by reducing the size of a patient’s stomach in order to limit food intake.
The surgeries performed include gastric bypass procedures, which redirect food away from some parts of the stomach and small intestine so that the body absorbs fewer calories.
They also include gastric banding, in which a band is placed around the upper part of the stomach to reduce its capacity so that the patient feels full after eating a small amount of food.
Bariatric procedures are carried out almost exclusively in two public hospitals: St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, and University Hospital Galway (UHG). Some services are also provided at South Infirmary in Cork.
A spokesperson for the Health Service Executive (HSE) said that surgical interventions for morbid obesity are performed on the basis of a clinical diagnosis by a medical consultant.
“While a definite clinical need exists for those with chronic obesity, bariatric surgery is only required for the minority of obese patients (2% of the population),” they stated.
Patients are considered to be morbidly obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than 40.
The number of patients undergoing procedures for the treatment of morbid obesity has increased markedly in recent years. In 2009, 55 patients availed of the procedures at a cost of €450,606.
This had increased to 98 patients and a cost of €686,812 by 2015 and, last year, a total of 112 obese patients underwent bariatric surgery in public hospitals at a cost of €1,029,908.
The figures, which were released by the HSE under the Freedom of Information Act, show that each procedure cost an average of over €9,000.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Isn’t it amazing when an attempts to stab someone in a school .. the media is more concerned about telling that they are actually Irish rather than condemning the serious crime .
The footage tells a lot
@barry lyons: it’s sad that they have to..because there are certain people in this country who are claiming all crimes are made by immigrants and foreigners…these people have an agenda and are causing more trouble than anyone else
@William Slevin: If you bothered to read my post properly…you would have seen I was making the point that there are groups in this country continuously blaming immigrants and foreigners for all the crimes in this country…of course there is a percentage of foreigners committing crimes but not 100%. Try harder with your response next time
@William Slevin: ghettos like newtownmountkennedy in wicklow and Dundrum in tipperary you mean!!
@William Slevin: ah the usual blame the media response….there’s plenty of credible outlets that do good reporting on a variety of issues…just because you don’t like some of the facts doesn’t mean they’re not true
@William Slevin: haha..I’m not coherent……I’m finding it difficult to follow your posts with the bad grammar and lack of punctuation!! Or maybe it’s thee suoerior attitude you seem to have about everything and everyone Also you must have access to every news outlet to know what’s being reported and what’s not.
@William Slevin: just checking you were paying attention….now maybe if you could stop with the sweeping generalisations without any facts to back them up
@William Slevin: also I’m glad to see my dyslexia amuses you…I had a feeling you were one of those people who thinks they’re better than everyone else
@William Slevin: did you ever think that was why I was struggling to read your long winded badly punctuated posts? But no you’re the one who had to throw out insults…
@William Slevin: there you go using that nazi word again..seems like you’re obsessed with it…maybe that’s why you think you’re superior to other people
@William Slevin: I don’t have the opinion that I’m better than other people unlike you….you’re trying to make it look like you’re better than everyone and then you’re very passive aggressive with all your fake lols…
They don’t want foreign interference when it comes to their undemocratic regime, but they want that same foreign money to help with their floods. There’s no need to invade a country “spreading democracy” like the USA has, simply just let them be on their own. “Do you want money? Call for fair elections immediately and allow full access to international observers and accept the people’s vote”
The situation in Myanmar is dire.
Made worse by climate change caused by burning fossil fuels, greed and economical colonialism. For those that have no defence when disasters happen, all of us who live in comfort need to assess the impact of our lifestyle and start pulling together.
@William Slevin: yes yes, fossil fuel industry are verifiable saints and do nothing but good for the planet.
. . . Right?
They don’t need you to defend them, why do you bother?
The world should tell the Junta to take a hike. Unfortunately it will be ordinary people who will bear the brunt, not the tin pot despots.
have your say