United Kingdom Bariatric Surgery Market Size

UK Bariatric Surgery Market Analysis

The United Kingdom bariatric surgery market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the healthcare system around the world. The pandemic also impacted the UK bariatric surgery market. Due to the lockdown and government regulations, people in the United Kingdom were unable to go to work and exercise, and the increased stress due to the pandemic contributed to obesity in the country. For instance, in May 2020, an article titled "The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Obesity and Bariatric Surgery" reported that elective bariatric surgery came to a grinding halt during the pandemic in the United Kingdom. Thus, an overall reduction in elective, urgent, and bariatric surgical procedures was observed during the lockdown, leading to a decreased demand for these surgical systems, which impacted their growth. However, after a few months, the market witnessed significant growth as these surgical services got resumed, and the sector has been recovering well since restrictions were lifted. During the post-pandemic phase, the bariatric surgery market has seen a surge due to the rise in adoption as per the patient's clinical need for the surgery. Moreover, the relaxation of restrictions has also led to an increased patient influx, thereby increasing the demand for bariatric surgery devices over the post-pandemic era.

The major factors contributing to the growth of the bariatric surgery market in the United Kingdom include an increase in obesity among people, a rising burden of diabetes and heart diseases, and rising government initiatives. In June 2022, the Government of the UK reported that, from November 2020 to November 2021, 25.3% of adults over the age of 18 had obesity. Such a huge prevalence of obesity in the UK is expected to drive market growth due to the rising adoption of bariatric surgeries.

In addition, according to the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), in November 2022, it was found that 31.3% of 6-year-old children were living with diabetes in the most deprived areas. Being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of several common diseases and causes of premature death, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Hence, as the prevalence of obesity is increasing, bariatric surgeries will also rise, which is expected to propel market growth.

Apart from this, the technological developments in the products related to bariatric surgery are also contributing to the growth of the studied market. For instance, in October 2021, Spatz launched the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) approved Spatz3 gastric balloon, the first adjustable gastric balloon system, to aid in weight loss for adult patients struggling with obesity in the United Kingdom along with 40 other countries.

Furthermore, in December 2021, Tonic Weight Loss Surgery launched a new initiative that aims to help people achieve this resolution, transforming their bodies, health, and their lives in 2022 to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle for people across the UK year-on-year. Such initiatives will further drive market growth due to the rising adoption of bariatric surgery devices in the United Kingdom.

Moreover, growing government initiatives is also contributing to the growth of the studied market. For instance, in 2021, the UK government revised its policies to take care of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The policies include equipping the National Health Service (NHS) for the rapidly growing obese population in England, mandating proper operational policies needed for the planning, assessment, and management of the manual handling risks for the care and treatment of bariatric patients and designing buildings and vehicles to accommodate bariatric patients in safety and comfort and with dignity. Such government initiatives in the country are making people feel secure and comfortable. Thus, more people are opting for this surgical procedure, thereby driving the studied market.

Thus, due to aforesaid reasons, the market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period. However, the high cost of surgery may slow down its growth over the forecast period.