A Cambridgeshire man has been left with huge folds of sagging skin after undergoing gastric band surgery and losing 21 stone.

Wayne Shepherd says he was “promised” skin removal surgery after his weight loss procedure, but has been told the funding is no longer available on the NHS.

Wayne, who lives in Soham and is originally from March, has struggled with weight issues and obesity since childhood, adding that he weighed just over 13lbs when he was born.

The 40-year-old said he faced mobility issues due to his weight and was given a warning by health professionals, urging him to take action or he could die.

 

Ely Standard:

"I weighed 226kgs, it was risking my life. I was put on the NHS waiting list for four years, I finally had my surgery last year in June. I

now weigh about 95kgs and have lost 21 stones. I was initially referred to the Addenbrookes Obesity Clinic who then sent me to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth where I had my operation.

“But when I was undergoing the surgery, I was assured and promised they would do a follow-up plastic surgery and remove the excess skin.

“The hospital is now refusing to carry on with the surgery and have asked me to come back with a referral from my local NHS team.

“I have gone back to my GP surgery – the Staploe Medical Centre in March - who have had discussions and have come back to say they won’t refer me.

“I feel hopeless.  My skin is all sagged and stretched and I don’t have the confidence to go out without being fully covered. I don’t look in the mirror anymore either and I don’t know if it’s ever going to get better. It has taken a massive blow to my mental health.

“If I am not referred on the NHS, I will have to pay for it and it could cost me up to £30,000. I have been saving up in the hope of getting this done some day and have also launched a fundraiser to support this surgery and I am hoping people will join me in my journey.”

In a letter sent to his GP surgery , The Staploe Medical Centre from The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System, it said that the Exceptional Case Panel are not satisfied that Wayne Shepherd meets the criteria for a aesthetic surgery and therefore funding was denied.

Meanwhile, we asked the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System for a comment on Wayne’s case.

In a statement, they said: “We do not comment on individual cases. Body contouring procedures are not routinely funded by the NHS in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

“Exceptional funding may be considered in some circumstances where specific conditions are met, in line with our Exceptional and Individual Funding Request policy.”

Through talking about this issue publicly, Wayne wishes to raise awareness on the obesity concerns as well wanting hospitals to clearly outline the consequences and side effects of these treatments and what options patients have or don’t have.

You can support his fundraiser here.

Recalling a troubled past including being in a toxic relationship and losing both his parents at a young age, Wayne says all this contributed to his weight gain over the years.

Talking about his obesity trauma, he said: “I suffered from obesity since a young age and was often bullied over my weight".

However, over the past few years, he experimented with different diet plans weight loss programmes. But failing all of that and the growing risk to his life, Wayne decided to go for the gastric sleeve surgery.