A plastic surgeon has issued a stark warning to Brits using weight loss jabs. The doctor warns that individuals who take these jabs whilst undergoing surgical procedures are unknowingly risking their lives and could potentially choke to death.
It’s estimated that over 1.5 million Brits are currently using weight loss injections, a number that may soon rise as the Government has now allowed GPs to prescribe them. As these jabs become a regular part of people’s daily routines, a leading doctor has cautioned that failing to inform their doctor they are on the weight loss jab prior to receiving a general anaesthetic could prove fatal.
Dr Mo Akhavani, a consultant plastic and cosmetic surgeon based in London, told Mail Online that approximately 805 of his patients are on “some sort of jab”, and from his experience with his patients, “maybe one in ten might forget” to let him know they are taking appetite-suppressing medication.
Patients are typically advised to refrain from eating for at least six hours before surgery to minimise the risk of aspiration pneumonia—a serious lung infection that occurs when food, liquid, or saliva enters the lungs, which can happen when the stomach isn’t empty.
Dr Akhavani warned that a weight loss jab can cause issues because “it delays gastric emptying,” the process by which the stomach empties its contents into the small intestine, reports the Express.
The surgeon has emphasised that it is “very well recognised in the medical world” that patients should stop taking the jab two weeks or more before surgery. Californian researchers have revealed that weight loss treatments can increase the risk of surgical complications, specifically “choking to death”, by 33 per cent.
Dr. Akhavani is now urging those on the jabs to “please, please, please don’t forget to let your doctors know.” He added that, in his experience, it’s not that people are trying to conceal their use of the treatment, but rather they “genuinely forget” as the jab has become a “routine part of their life”.
Weight loss injections have been found to help individuals shed up to 20 per cent of their body weight in just a few months. However, there have also been reports of side effects, including hair loss, constipation and bloating, following the injections.
Official NHS guidelines state that patients with a body mass index (BMI) of over 35, or 32.5 or more if you’re of Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean origin, and at least one weight-related health problem, can be prescribed weight loss injections. This also applies to those with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 who meet the criteria for referral to a specialist weight management service.
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