Woman, 33, sheds 16 STONE with the help of a gastric bypass
Woman, 33, who faced abuse from strangers because of her 32st figure, sheds 16 STONE with the help of a gastric bypass and £15,000 crowdfunded surgery to remove ‘painful’ excess skin
- Steff Kent crowdfunded for the five hour operation to cut off ‘painful’ excess skin
- At her heaviest recruitment worker Steff, from Bournemouth, weighed 32 stone
- But the 33-year-old lost an impressive 16 stone after gastric bypass surgery
A woman who weighed 32 stone has showcased her remarkable 16 stone weight loss thanks to the help of a gastric bypass and £15,000 crowdfunded surgery to remove ‘painful’ excess skin.
Steff Kent, 33, from Bournemouth, Dorset, now weighs just 15 stone – and hopes to drop another two stone after the extra tissue on her legs and back is removed later this year.
The recruitment worker, who says she used to face regular abuse from strangers when at her heaviest, underwent her weight loss surgery in 2018, but was left with uncomfortable excess skin that made her day to day life difficult and painful.
Having crowdfunded £15,000, Steff underwent a five hour operation to cut off swathes of tissue from her stomach and arms; the first of three private surgeries she will undergo to get her dream svelte figure.
Steff Kent (pictured left before the weight loss, and right, after), 33, from Bournemouth, Dorset, has showcased her remarkable 16 stone weight loss thanks to the help of a gastric bypass and surgery to remove ‘painful’ excess skin
The recruitment worker (pictured holding her excess skin) underwent her weight loss surgery in 2018, but was left with uncomfortable excess skin that made her day to day life difficult and painful
She revealed that after the gastric bypass the excess skin bounced with every step and she started crowdfunding £15,000 to have it removed (pictured after weight loss)
Steff, who is still recovering from the procedure, has worked several jobs, fundraised and asked friends and family to give donations towards her skin removal instead of Christmas and birthday presents.
She was meant to undergo the operation last year but it was delayed due to the pandemic.
Steff said: ‘It had been delayed so many times I still didn’t believe it was actually going to happen. Everything is still quite numb but the fact my leggings and pants sit flat without a skin roll blows my mind.
‘I’ve had a few wobbles regretting the surgery because of the mental side of it, the lack of control and inability to perform basic tasks.
At her heaviest, Steff (pictured) said she used to face regular abuse from strangers about her 32 stone figure but no matter what diet or exercise she tried, she could not shift the weight on her own
Following her dramatic weight loss (pictured), Steff underwent a five hour skin removal operation to cut off swathes of tissue from her stomach and arms, the first of three private surgeries
She said her partner Andrew has been ‘amazing’ throughout and hasn’t seen any friends since October because they needed to shield in case she is given a new surgery date (Steff pictured on the first time she could fit in a kayak)
‘It is such a big thing to finally get it done. We have basically put our lives on hold and spent a long time waiting,’ she added.
‘My partner Andrew has been amazing. He hasn’t seen any friends since October because we needed to shield in case I got given a new surgery date. We live in an annex at my parents’ house so the whole family have put their lives on hold.’
Steff said she had always struggled with her weight and by age ten she weighed 10 stone. No matter what diet or exercise she tried, she could not shift the weight on her own.
She ran marathons despite being classed as clinically obese and faced regular abuse from strangers and disbelief from doctors that she was doing everything to try to lose it.
Steff said: ‘I’ve been dieting my whole life. I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting when I was in primary school and I’ve tried all the diets – Atkins, Cambridge, everything.
Steff (pictured before her weight loss) said she always struggled with her weight despite dieting her whole life as well as running marathons and said she still can’t believe her new figure, saying its a ‘great feeling’
‘I was always active, I stopped playing netball at school when the skirt wouldn’t fit me anymore. Then after the gastric bypass the excess skin stopped me wearing shorts and doing daily stuff that most people don’t think about.
‘If we want to go out for a walk I’m panicking about how far – do I need to take painkillers, clothing, food. The skin bounces with every step, it pulls the wind out of you, and my legs clap together when I walk.’
Since having the surgery Steff had three weeks of not being able to do much at all – unable to even scratch her nose or hold her phone to her ear – and basic tasks like eating or brushing her hair have been difficult due to the pain and swelling in her arms.
The initial recovery takes six to eight weeks while she waits for the stitches and swelling to heal.
Steff added: ‘I still can’t believe this is my figure now, there’s still a way to go but it’s a great feeling.’
WHAT IS A GASTRIC BYPASS?
A laparoscopic gastric bypass, or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), is considered the ‘gold standard’ for weight-loss surgery.
It involves creating a small pouch in the stomach that restricts food intake and reduces nutrient absorption.
The pouch also limits food from coming into contact with the upper or lower intestine, further preventing absorption.
The operation involves five-to-six incisions in the abdomen. Surgeons then staple the top portion of the stomach to separate it from the bottom, creating a pouch.
A small section of the small intestine is then attached to the pouch, allowing food to bypass to the lower stomach.
Advantages:
- One year after surgery, people lose on average 77 per cent of their body weight
- After 10 to 14 years, between 50 and 60 per cent of this weight loss is maintained
- Around 96 per cent of health complications, including back pain and type 2 diabetes, are resolved
Disadvantages:
- People may suffer iron deficiency anemia due to insufficient nutrient absorption
- The procedure can lose effectiveness if the pouch is stretched
- ‘Dumping syndrome’ can occur due to the rapid emptying of stomach contents into the small intestine. This can cause weakness and abdominal discomfort
Source: University of California San Francisco, Bariatric Surgery Center
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