Weight Loss Surgery in Bilbao

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.

Bariatric operations at the clinic 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 — our coordinator will get back to you shortly and set up your consultation. The bariatric surgeon consultation is free.

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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
• Standard approaches to weight loss have not worked before

BMI is the primary tool for judging obesity. The formula: body weight (kg) divided by height squared (m²). Surgery is typically justified at a BMI above 40, or above 35 if there are serious related conditions. At times surgery is also considered with lower figures — provided non-surgical treatment has failed.

Many confuse the two, yet their purposes are fundamentally different. Bariatric surgery is medicine's treatment for obesity and related diseases: it changes how the digestive tract operates and addresses the causes of excess weight and metabolism. Plastic surgery reshapes outer contours of the body without treating obesity or affecting metabolism.

Four main bariatric surgery types are available at City Medical Centre: sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass (MGB) and SADI-S duodeno-ileal bypass. The method is picked individually, considering BMI, related conditions and the patient's goals.

We work with modern laparoscopic technique. The operation needs only 4 small punctures, 5 to 15 mm each. Cosmetic sutures are applied, so healed marks are almost invisible.

Recovery depends on what you plan to do. Office work: after 2–4 weeks. Physical work: after 1.5 months. Sport and activity: swimming after 30 days, other exercise phased in as weight drops. Travel and holidays: preferably not earlier than one month after surgery.

The diet shifts in stages — liquid, then soft, then solid food. Protein is the priority, while high-calorie, fatty food is limited.

You can become pregnant after bariatric surgery, but doctors advise a wait of at least 12–18 months. Over this period the body stabilizes, weight hits target values and nutritional status normalizes.

Yes, after bariatric surgery vitamins cannot be skipped. As the digestive anatomy changes, some nutrients are absorbed less well, making regular vitamin and mineral supplements a permanent feature of the patient's life.

Weight may return after bariatric surgery, though that is very unlikely when you follow the doctor's advice. Key factors: proper nutrition, avoiding high-calorie drinks and regular follow-up with City Medical Centre specialists.