A STRETTON man who lost 15 stone after having an operation to fix his weight problem has urged people who are morbidly obese to seriously consider having the surgery.
Paul Maddox, 51, was told by doctors he had five years to live because of his 30-stone weight.
His comments come as a national report revealed that the NHS could save as much as £1.3 billion over three years by carrying out more obesity operations.
About one million people in the UK are eligible to have the operation, but last year just 3,600 had the procedure. The Government says the surgery should be taken as a last resort.
After having gastric bypass surgery last year, Mr Maddox says it has given him a second chance at life, and that the dangers involved were worth it.
He said: “I wouldn’t think twice about having the surgery. Yes, there is a danger involved in the operation, and you are worried that once they put you to sleep you won’t wake up.
Derby Royal Hospital provides gastric band and gastric bypass surgeries to the surrounding area, including Burton. It has seen a steady increase in the number of operations carried out over the last six years, and has operated on more than 300 patients so far in 2010. The hospital provides the surgeries to patients who have a BMI of over 50, or to patients with a BMI of 45 to 50 — if they would have serious health benefits from the operation.
Morbidly obese Barry Fowers, from Hatton, has said that he would not consider having an operation to help fix his weight problem, for fear of complications during surgery.
Mr Fowers weighs 30 stone and also suffers from heart problems, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome. However, he feels the risk of going under the knife is too high.
He said: “I would be pretty dubious about gastric bypass surgery because of my heart condition.
