Bariatric Surgery

We’re home to some of the U.K.’s top bariatric surgeons. They have extensive weight management training and use research-based methods to help you achieve your goals. This experience makes them uniquely qualified to treat people with obesity and other chronic or complex medical conditions.

Highlights of our services include:

• Minimally invasive weight loss surgery: We use laparoscopic techniques. This approach uses small incisions and special instruments leading to care that’s gentler than traditional open surgery. Benefits include a shorter, more comfortable hospital stay, lower risk of complications and quicker return to daily activities.
• Multidisciplinary approach: Our bariatric surgeons are global leaders in their fields. They work with a team of consultants who meet to discuss your case, including endocrinologists, anaesthetists, registered dietitians, psychologists and specialist bariatric nurses. This collaboration helps us tailor treatment plans and adjust them to your changing needs, so you have better chances of success.
• Range of options: We offer all the latest options, including sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, gastric band surgery and revisional bariatric surgery. Our team wants you to receive the right weight loss services for your needs, whether medical management or surgery. Bariatric surgeons explain all your options, including medical weight loss services, and help you make decisions you feel good about.

Your bariatric surgery team considers many factors when determining if weight loss surgery is right for you, including your body mass index (BMI). BMI is measured in weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. For example, a 32-year-old who weighs 130 kg and is 1 m 40 cm tall would have a BMI of 40.

You may be a candidate for bariatric surgery if your BMI is:

• Over 40.
• 35, along with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis or breathing problems related to obesity.
• 30 to 35, along with poorly managed Type 2 diabetes.

Prompt Access to Weight Loss Service Assessments

Weight loss specialists typically see new patients within a week. If you don’t live in the London area, virtual consultation might be an option. International patients have access to complementary concierge assistance through Global Patient Services. 

We perform a thorough assessment to ensure that surgery is the right option for you. Bariatric surgery requires lifelong changes to how you eat and approach food, so it’s important to be prepared for this new way of living.

The evaluation includes consultations with a bariatric dietician psychologist and may require other consultants to manage chronic conditions before surgery, like diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.

Weight Loss Surgery Options

We offer several types of bariatric surgery. We discuss your goals and preferences and then determine the best procedure for your needs.

Types of weight loss surgery we offer include:

Sleeve gastrectomy

We remove up to three-quarters of your stomach, reducing your stomach from the size of a melon to the size of a banana. Doing so greatly reduces your appetite, so you feel fuller sooner. People can lose up to 70% of excess body weight.

We may recommend gastric sleeve surgery for younger people with mild to moderate obesity (BMI of 30 to 40).

Gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass)

This procedure transforms your upper stomach into a pouch the size of an egg. Surgeons connect the pouch to your small bowel, causing food to bypass most of the area where calories are absorbed. People can lose up to 80% of their excess body weight with gastric bypass surgery.

We may recommend gastric bypass if you have diabetes, reflux or a BMI of 40 or more.

Mini-gastric bypass surgery (one-anastomosis gastric bypass)

This procedure bypasses less of the small bowel and may help you lose more weight than traditional gastric bypass. It also increases the risk of complications, such as abdominal pain and frequent bowel movements.

Mini-gastric bypass is for people with a high BMI or who want to maximise their weight loss potential. It’s not for people with reflux, as it may worsen symptoms.

Gastric band surgery

We place an adjustable ring around the top of your stomach, creating a pouch about the size of a mouthful of food. You’ll need to eat small portions slowly. The procedure is reversible and enables you to lose up to 50% of excess body weight. We sometimes recommend a combination of gastric band surgery and weight loss injections.

Gastric balloon

Under our team’s guidance, you swallow a deflated balloon in a small capsule. It inflates in your stomach, and we use an X-ray to confirm proper placement. The balloon takes up space in your stomach, helping you make a habit of eating smaller portions. It deflates on its own and passes through your digestive system after roughly 16 weeks.

Revisional bariatric surgery

These procedures are for people who’ve previously had bariatric surgery and are still gaining weight. They’re also for people with persistent side effects such as abdominal pain, acid reflux and vomiting. Surgeons can reverse some types of surgery or modify them to help you get back on track with your goals.

What To Expect After Weight Loss Surgery

Depending on the type of procedure, weight loss surgery can take one to two hours and requires an overnight hospital stay. You may start your recovery, if required, in our intensive care unit — one of the U.K.’s largest and most advanced. You also have access to one of our bariatric surgeons 24/7. We’re the only hospital in the region with this capability.

Learn More About Bariatric Surgery

Contact us or call +44 20 3423 7500 for more information about bariatric surgery and weight loss.

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