Surgical Treatment of Obesity in Thiruvananthapuram

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.

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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
• Past attempts to shed weight in conventional ways were unsuccessful

Doctors assess obesity chiefly through BMI: take body weight (kg) and divide it by height squared (m²). Surgical treatment is usually justified at a BMI over 40, or over 35 with serious related conditions. Surgery may also be considered at lower values in some cases — where non-surgical approaches have failed.

The two are often confused, yet their goals differ fundamentally. Bariatric surgery is a medical treatment for obesity and its related diseases. It alters how the digestive tract works, tackling the causes of excess weight and metabolism. Plastic surgery changes the body's outer contours; it 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 use modern laparoscopic technique. The operation is done through 4 small punctures of 5 to 15 mm. Cosmetic sutures are placed, so once healed the marks become almost invisible.

Recovery depends on what you do. Office work: after 2–4 weeks. Physical work: after 1.5 months. Sport and activity: swimming is allowed after 30 days, other exercise is added gradually as weight drops. Travel and holidays: best planned no earlier than a month after surgery.

Stage by stage, you move from liquid food to soft and then solid. Priority goes to protein, and 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, 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.