Being overweight is something which can affect not only your health, but also your happiness. At the Specialist Medical Clinic, we understand that losing weight is not that easy. To help, we offer a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss including diet and lifestyle advice and surgical options, supporting you every step of the way along the road to your target weight.

Obesity facts

Our Western world of stressful jobs, limited time and unhealthy eating has led to over 60% of the American and UK population, and more than 50% of the Western European population, being clinically overweight or obese. Obesity is deemed, after smoking, as the leading cause of preventable death.
With many medical advances, and easy access to medical advice, effective treatment of obesity is not only easy but has a greater health benefit to the population of the world than any other treatment available.

Statistics show that 25% of the UK adult population are estimated to be severely overweight (have a Body Mass Index or BMI >30). The World Health Organisation classifies anyone with a BMI greater than 25 as overweight and anyone with a BMI greater than 30 as obese.

The Gibraltar Public Health and Lifestyle Report has recently revealed that 60% of the population are overweight or obese, with three quarters of men aged 45 and over being overweight. It was also noted that 75% of the population do not eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

What are the risks of being obese?

People who are deemed clinically obese are much more at risk of developing comorbid diseases which worsen with increased BMI, and often improve dramatically with weight loss and lifestyle changes.

Conditions such as impaired glucose tolerance which leads to type II diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), cardiac problems and cancer are more commonly associated with clinically obese people. In women, issues with fertility and pregnancy complications are a risk and in both men and women, impaired mobility and arthritis are a common problem. Along with the physical effects, psychological health can also be dramatically affected, with depression, low self-esteem and reduced self-confidence being common.

Treatment Options

Diet and Lifestyle changes

An excellent starting point for anyone wishing to lose weight, is to begin with a diet and lifestyle assessment. Implementing a few small changes in these areas can set patients on the road to a healthy target weight.

For those with a BMI of 25-35, lifestyle changes can assist with weight loss of around 10kg. Changes may include altering eating habits, exercise programmes, some pharmacological agents and behaviour modification.

Pharmacological agents should only be taken with the advice and guidance of a qualified professional.

Surgical Options

For some patients, if changing diet and lifestyle does not give the desired weight loss, it may be necessary to proceed with surgical intervention.

Medically termed as bariatric surgery, its aim is to assist patients who are deemed clinically obese and require, for health and lifestyle reasons, to reduce their weight.

Gastric Balloon

In people with a BMI of 30-35, an intragastric balloon inserted into the stomach is a viable option. It reduces the functional size of the stomach and therefore calorie intake.

If the patient has a BMI of greater than 35, surgery has become the gold standard of treatment in recent years. There are 2 main surgical options and the patient’s suitability for this will be decided on an individual basis.

Gastric Band

This is a restrictive surgery in which an adjustable band is placed around the top part of the stomach. This then creates a pocket, when the patient eats, this pocket fills up quickly and the food passes slowly into the stomach. The patient then feels full after a shorter time with less food.

Gastric Bypass

A gastric bypass operation involves the surgeon creating a small stomach pouch with a bypass of much of the small intestine, making the digestive system shorter, without actually removing anything. This effectively means that the patient can only eat smaller meals and the body digests less food.

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Your Specialists

Don't judge another (wo)man until you have walked a mile in their moccasins "

(American First Nation proverb)

Mr. David Deardon BM MD FRCS FRCS(Ed)

Chief Executive / General Surgeon & Endoscopist

Areas of expertise

UK Trained Consultant General and Transplant Surgeon, now providing day case General Surgery and Surgical Gastroenterology to SMC


Education and professional training

Trained at Southampton Medical School (BM) 1984. Became a Fellow of both the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS) and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS Ed) in 1989. Completed EU Surgical Training in 1990 and UK Surgical Training in 1996. Completed my Doctorate at Manchester University in 1999


Professional Qualifications, Associations & Accomplishments

Over 20 published scientific papers in peer reviewed journals Presented and co-authored a number of scientific presentations at international congresses in Japan, Europe, India, USA and the UK. Accredited as a specialist in General Surgery in 1997 and joined the GMC’s specialist register.


Professional experience

Held consultant posts in Plymouth (Senior Lecturer /Associate Professor), Guys and St Thomas’s Hospitals London, Oxford Radcliffe (Honorary Tutor to Green College and involved in the initial development of the highly successful Oxford Pancreas and Non-heart beating kidney transplant programmes), the Western Infirmary, Glasgow (reintroduced the


Languages spoken

English


Interests

Doing exciting things with my family, travelling (to explore cultures and geography); philately, jigsaws and skiing.


"A healthy nutrition, one of the most important pillars of life.""

Laura Soiza

Dietetic Nurse and Nutrition Specialist

Areas of expertise

General Nursing Diabetes Nutrition Obesity Paediatric Medicine


Education and professional training

University of Cadiz. University of Barcelona. Complutense University of Madrid.


Professional Qualifications, Associations & Accomplishments

Nursing at University of Cadiz. Master in Nutrition and Dietetic at University of Cadiz. Care and Education for Diabetes Master at University of Barcelona. Expert in Nutrition at Complutense University of Madrid. Higher Qualification in Nutrition and Dietetic in Generalitat of Calalunya.


Professional experience

She has 19 years of experience. She has worked for the GHA Diabetes Service and in the public and private sector in Gibraltar and in Spain. Laura is a specialist in nutritional education to help prevent and correct different medical conditions (diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, childhood and adult obesity).


Languages spoken

Spanish English


Interests

Enthusiastic about the impact that diet and lifestyles can have on the health. Travel, Dancing and Singing


Mr Antequera is Consultant Surgeon at St Bernard's Hospital, located in Gibraltar. He is a leading expert in laparoscopic and endoscopic treatment for Obesity, one of the global health burdens nowadays. He offers alternative weight loss solutions such as gastric balloons, gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, gastric band/lap-band, bariatric surgery and gastric band adjustments."

Alfonso Antequera Perez

Consultant Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon

Areas of expertise

Upper gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, obesity surgery, endoscopy


Education and professional training

Studied at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. Trained as Specialist in General Surgery at Hospital Puerta de Hierro. Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Master Onco-surgical strategies at Universite Paris-Sud


Professional Qualifications, Associations & Accomplishments

PhD in organ transplantation at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Fellow of the American College of Surgeons Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Member of the British Society for Obesity Surgery (BOMSS) Member of the British association of upper gastrointestinal surgery (AUGIS)


Professional experience

Mar 2012 to July 2013 Locum Upper Gastrointestinal Consultant Surgeon. Adelaide & Meath Hospital. Tallaght. Dublin Sep 2011 to Mar 2012 Locum Upper Gastrointestinal Consultant Surgeon. Castle Hill Hospital. Hull & East Yorkshire NHS Trust Nov 2003 to Aug 2011 Consultant Surgeon. General and Digestive Surgery in Fuenlabrada Hospital. A public University General Hospital of 400 beds. Taking all the digestive and endocrine surgery, with special dedication to laparoscopic surgery and obesity. Full-Time (35 hours per week. In-House Calls 1 in 5). Honorary professor of Surgery in Health Science Campus of “Rey Juan Carlos University”. Private practice in Clinica La Luz. Madrid.


Languages spoken

English, Spanish, French


Interests

Sailing, skiing, golf, literature