Bariatric Surgery in Baghdad: Methods and Results

Yes, bariatric surgery is the medical term for it. At City Medical Centre the main methods are sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve) and gastric bypass; the surgeon chooses the method by your BMI and health.

Usually a BMI over 40, or over 35 with related health conditions. The surgeon confirms whether surgery suits you at the consultation.

The clinic's bariatric procedures are performed by experienced bariatric surgeons:

• Ruslan S. Menzulin — bariatric surgeon and surgical oncologist, 9 years of experience. Trained at Mercy clinic (USA) under Vadim Gushchin, spoke at the World Congress of bariatric surgery in Santiago (2025). Co-author of an international study published in The Lancet.
• Andrey G. Ugay — lead bariatric surgeon, 27 years of experience. Has performed the largest number of SASJ operations in the country. Expert council member of the national Society of Bariatric Surgeons.

Send us a message to have our coordinator contact you shortly and book your consultation; the bariatric surgeon consultation costs nothing.

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Surgery is prescribed only when clear criteria are met

• The patient's body mass index (BMI)
• Overall health and any related chronic conditions
• Previous efforts at weight loss through standard methods did not work

BMI is the main tool for assessing the degree of obesity. It is calculated by dividing body weight (kg) by height squared (m²). Surgery is usually justified with a BMI above 40, or above 35 with serious related conditions. In some cases surgery is considered at lower values too — if non-surgical approaches have failed.

Though often confused, the two have fundamentally different goals. Bariatric surgery is a medical treatment of obesity and related illnesses; it changes the functioning of the digestive tract to address the causes of excess weight and metabolism. Plastic surgery reshapes the outer contours of the body and neither treats obesity nor affects metabolism.

City Medical Centre provides four main types of bariatric surgery: sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass (MGB) and SADI-S duodeno-ileal bypass. We choose each method individually by BMI, related conditions and the patient's goals.

We rely on modern laparoscopic technique. The operation is performed through 4 small punctures of 5 to 15 mm. Cosmetic sutures are used, so after healing the marks are barely visible.

Recovery time depends on the activity. Office work: after 2–4 weeks. Physical work: after 1.5 months. Sport and activity: swimming allowed after 30 days, other exercise gradually added as weight goes down. Travel and holidays: plan no sooner than one month after surgery.

You move through diet stages from liquid food to soft and finally solid. Protein comes first, and high-calorie, fatty food is restricted.

Getting pregnant after bariatric surgery is possible, but doctors advise waiting at least 12–18 months, so the body can stabilize, weight can reach target values and nutritional status can normalize.

Yes, taking vitamins after bariatric surgery is mandatory. Because digestion is anatomically altered, the body absorbs some nutrients poorly, so regular vitamin and mineral supplements stay in the patient's life permanently.

Weight regain is possible after bariatric surgery but very unlikely provided you follow the doctor's advice. Eat properly, avoid high-calorie drinks and keep up regular follow-up with City Medical Centre specialists.