Health Minister Stuart Syvret said that the patients are waiting to see if they will receive treatment known as ‘gastric banding’ which involves inserting an inflatable device around the top part of the stomach via keyhole surgery.
But the procedure, which stimulates a feeling of being full even when little may have been eaten, is expensive and few surgeons in the UK can carry it out.
For this reason, Senator Syvret said, only extreme cases of obesity would be considered and some of the 40 people waiting for treatment will not receive it.
‘It’s not done in Jersey and requires patients to be sent to the UK.
It’s a very intensive and specialist operation and there are only few people who can do it,’ he said.
