Bariatric Surgery for Patients from Marseille

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.

At the clinic, bariatric operations are carried out 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
• Weight-loss attempts using conventional methods have not succeeded

Obesity is graded mainly by BMI, calculated as body weight (kg) over height squared (m²). A BMI above 40 usually justifies surgery, as does a BMI above 35 with serious related conditions. In certain cases surgery is considered at lower values too, if approaches without surgery have not succeeded.

The two are often mistaken for each other, but their goals are fundamentally different. Bariatric surgery provides medical treatment for obesity and related diseases. Changing how the digestive tract works, it deals with the causes of excess weight and metabolism. Plastic surgery modifies the body's outer contours; it does not treat obesity or affect metabolism.

There are four main types of bariatric surgery at City Medical Centre: sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass (MGB) and SADI-S duodeno-ileal bypass. BMI, related conditions and the patient's goals guide the individual choice of method.

The operation uses modern laparoscopic technique, through 4 small punctures of 5 to 15 mm. We place cosmetic sutures, and after healing the marks become almost invisible.

Recovery depends on your activity. Office work: after 2–4 weeks. Physical work: after 1.5 months. Sport and activity: swimming allowed after 30 days, other exercise added step by step as weight drops. Travel and holidays: plan them no earlier than a month after surgery.

Your diet changes in stages: from liquid food to soft, then to solid. The focus is on protein and on limiting high-calorie, fatty food.

It is possible to get pregnant after bariatric surgery, but doctors recommend a minimum wait of 12–18 months. During it the body stabilizes, weight reaches its target and nutritional status is normalized.

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 after bariatric surgery is possible, but very unlikely if you follow the doctor's advice. Proper nutrition, avoiding high-calorie drinks and regular follow-up with City Medical Centre specialists are key.