Mater Dei to outsource bariatric surgeries

The national health service is to start outsourcing bariatric surgery services at Mater Dei Hospital.

Sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypasses will be conducted at the general hospital by service providers, together with staff, pre-operative assessments, post-operative inpatient stay and post-op assessments.

Most patients who have bariatric surgery generally report an improvement or cure of obesity-related conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes sleep apnoea, asthma, arthritis, and cholesterol levels.

Bariatric surgery results in durable and significant weight loss and improvements in comorbid conditions, including type-2 diabetes, and is associated with a lower incidence of cardiovascular events, cancer, and death.

Bariatric procedures involve making changes to a digestive system to help in weight loss, usually when diet and exercise have not worked or when serious health problems arise because of being overweight.

The service so far has been offered by private hospitals. In 2021, Saint James Hospital carried out the first endoluminal bariatric intervention in Malta. Endoluminal bariatric surgery actually reduces the volume of the stomach, which results in a reduced intake of food. This procedure enables an individual to lose half of his or her extra weight within a period of 12 months.

The innovative surgery differs from traditional surgical treatments, because it is a short procedure which is minimally invasive and does not require any open surgery.

The World Health Organization (WHO) consistently ranks Malta’s health care service amongst the top nations worldwide. Mater Dei Hospital is the main acute, tertiary referral centre, with 900 beds and 20 main operating theatres, apart from other satellite operating theatres, labs, and various intensive care units.

Mater Dei will make available a fully functional theatre facility and a recovery area for bariatric surgeries to be conducted from 4pm to 9pm on weekdays, and form 2pm onwards on Saturday.

Pre-op services will be provided at other licensed facilities.