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Garrett Roche from Shanballymore, who is heading to Bruges in Belgium in mid September to have gastric sleeve weight-reduction surgery. Garrett has set up a group to advise others on overseas weight loss surgery.

Garrett Roche's battle with his weight will be a familiar one for many. With two young children, the realisation dawned that, if he wanted to play an active part in their lives, he needed to lose weight.

"I've been heavy my whole life," the 36-year-old Shanballymore man told The Avondhu this week. But, at 21 stone and with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 42 he says he wasn't considered, under Irish regulations, big enough to have gastric bypass surgery. "That infuriated me. I've been told I'm pre-diabetic. I will incur more medical complications if I don't do something now," he explained.

Frustrated with the delay in having such surgery in Ireland where waiting lists are extremely long for public patients and extremely costly for private patients, Garrett has decided to go overseas to have his surgery. It'll take place at the AZ Sint-Jan Hospital in Bruges, Belgium. It'll be done by Dr Bruno Dillemans, a specialist, Garrett says, who is highly respected among his peers at international level. "He literally wrote the book on weight loss surgery."

Dr Dillemans is so practiced in the surgery that he has it down to just 30 minutes using advanced keyhole and laparoscopic surgical techniques. That's compared to weight loss surgery in Ireland which Garrett says takes between two and three hours and requires five years of follow ups at double the price. At the 1,200 bed hospital in Bruges, which is recognised as a Centre of Bariatric Excellence, the procedure costs €6,200 compared to over €16,000 in Ireland.

Garrett is due to have his gastric sleeve surgery, which will make his stomach smaller, on September 16th. He has booked his flights and says he can't wait to go. "It will be life changing. It'll give me a new start." His wife Carima is very supportive, he says.

Garrett worked as manager of the Fish Market in McCurtain Street, Fermoy for a number of years. After it closed he went on to work as a member of the cabin crew with the airline First Choice Airways at Gatwick Airport.

"I never thought I'd get the job, with my weight. I think it was the gift of the gab that swung it for me," he jokes. His positive attitude and outgoing nature is likely to have helped. He finished up with them in 2007 though, as the boom came to an end.

Having always had an interest in weight management because of his own struggle, he began looking at his options. In Ireland he faced a seven year wait as a public patient and an equally long wait as a private patient, as they too are treated at the same obesity clinic at Loughlinstown Hospital in Dublin where the numbers seeking surgery far outweigh the available surgery. Health insurers won't cover the cost of the surgery until patients reach a BMI of 45 Garrett says. At that stage many people's health is compromised further, he points out. "The cost to the insurance companies and the HSE in taking care of obese patients long term is astronomical."

Garrett's research led him to investigate overseas options. Discovering the acclaimed obesity surgery expert Dr Dilemanns and the AZ Sint-Jan Hospital, was a revelation. So much so that, as well as having his own surgery done at the hospital, Garrett has set up a group to advise people on overseas weight loss surgery. The International Surgery Group gives advice to people on their options  and can refer them on to Dr Dillemans, taking a referral fee. "Many people are wary of going overseas for surgery. We can reassure them, put their minds at rest," he says. "If I can show people it is credible by putting my own trust in it by having my surgery there, it should help," he explains.

With cost a big issue for many, the saving of more than 50% on the price of the surgery in Ireland is a big factor. Dr Dillemans performs 14 surgeries a day, Garrett says. He is a professional of the highest international standard. There are no waiting lists. It costs considerably less than at home.

The man who says he gets great pleasure from helping others in the same situation as himself, stresses that it is not 'a quick-fix' solution and that, in common with Irish weight loss surgery policy, Dr Dillemans won't approve surgery for any patient he doesn't think are suitable candidates.

"Patients are given a quite strict dietary regimen pre-surgery which they must adhere to. They must also be in the right state of mind psychologically. They must want to make positive change and be prepared to change their habits post surgery to do so," Garrett concluded.

While most health insurers aren't willing to fund the cost of surgery overseas, Garrett says he's encouraged that one, Cork-based Laya Healthcare, has indicated it would assess any such applicantions from its customers on 'a case by case basis'.

More information is available on Garrett's website http://wwwinternationalsurgerygroup.co.uk

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