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 Obesity - Size of problem History |
Combine Obesity Clinic – History
Before year 2000, bariatric surgery is almost non-existing in Hong Kong. With the foresight of the problem, surgeons in the Upper GI Unit of Department of Surgery, CUHK undergo overseas training in advance laparoscopic surgery and bariatric procedure in two of the fattest nation in the world, Australia and United State. The purpose of training is not only acquiring the skill of the procedures, but also understanding of the structure and program behind the success in western countries. In 2002, under the leadership of Professor Sydney Chung, we established the first Combined Obesity Clinic (COC) in Hong Kong. COC is a multi-disciplinary clinic involving surgeons, endocrinologist, dietitian and our specialty nurses to provide assessment and counseling on those patients with severe obesity who need bariatric intervention.  Bariatric Surgery in CUHK The Department of Surgery of CUHK is a pioneer in the development of bariatric surgery in Hong Kong. Since 2001, we have introduced a variety of weight control procedures, including intragastric balloon, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, laparoscopic gastric bypass operation and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, in the region. Currently we are holding the greatest volume of obesity cases and operative experience in this clinical subspecialty within Hong Kong and China. There is no comparable institution in the region as far as expertise in bariatric surgery's concerned. Since 2001, we have received 510 referrals for bariatric surgery and have performed more than 220 operations thus far. We foresee that the demand for such surgery is going to be huge in the future, especially in China. The number of cases treated reveal that the trend is on the increase.  |