As you may have seen, last night there was a channel four documentary that purported to be about how the rising demand for gastric banding is creating financial difficulties for the NHS. The preview of the programme indicated that the rising demand for gastric banding by teenagers was of particular concern. In practice, only one of the three people that the programme focussed on was a teenager - and she was 19!
There is a lot I could say about the programme,mainly negative, but I will only summarise here. It was largely crass, shallow, supposedly 'entertaining' nonsense. It explained very little to the general populace what gastric banding is really all about and perpetuated the myth that it is a 'quick fix' and an 'easy option'. The attitude of the surgeon at the centre of the programme, Mr Paul Super, was appalling, rude, arrogant and downright unprofessional at times. In one scene, he plucks at the fatty tissue of an anaesthetised patient and makes jokes, to which the theatre team holler with laughter. It was insensitive, bullying and just horrible.
The programme portrayed gastric band patients as stupid, lazy, irresponsible and entirely at fault for their condition. Nothing was said about restriction, band adjustments, aftercare or the months of to-ing and fro-ing while trying to get restriction levels right. It also said very little about the healthy eating and exercise that band patients are expected to live by post-surgery.
In short, the programme was extremely disappointing. I am not entirely surprised at channel four for this, but was appalled that a top surgeon should choose to behave so. I am not alone in this. The UKgastricBand.co.uk forum has been alive today with three separate active threads, filled with irate messages of banded people, at best disappointed, and at worst, depressed and cancelling appointments. Rather than attempt to reproduce that anger and frustration here, I urge you to read these threads yourself (see at the bottom of this message) and make up your own mind. I have added a new poll asking you, if you watched the programme, what did you think of it? Please vote!
Here are the links to the three threads:
1. Feeling very depressed after tonight's channel four documentary http://www.ukgastricband.co.uk/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=2317
2. Channel four 21st April 9pm http://www.ukgastricband.co.uk/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=2311
3. Mr Paul Super (not) and channel four: http://www.ukgastricband.co.uk/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=2324 - this one was started by me!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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I'd just like to say that I had the gastric band procedure privately and Mr Paul Super was my surgeon.
ReplyDeleteI too saw this programme prior to my operation, and I have to say I originally held a similar opinion of Mr Super as you did.
However, upon meeting him, many conversations with him, and ultimately having him do my procedure, I have to say my opinion changed.
Many of those people in that programme, did not want to make any effort to change their ways, eating mcdonalds the night before their operation and such, which is dangerous as it would cause the liver to enlarge as I'm sure you know.
I think if I was offering someone the chance to change their life and they effectively threw it in my face I might ridicule them too. You can only have so much for sympathy for someone if they are not willing to help themselves at all.
I enjoy reading your blog and find it supportive and helpful, but I just thought as someone who has met Mr Super, I'd say the programme didn't necessarily show him in a flattering or accurate light.