Bariatric surgerySpain5 min read
Did Anabel Pantoja have weight-loss surgery? Yes, and she has talked about it herself
The Spanish television personality Anabel Pantoja has never hidden how she lost weight. Since 2012 she has explained in interviews, on television and on Instagram that she had a gastric band fitted and that it changed her life. Below is what she said, where it was published, and what weight-loss surgery involves for anyone considering it today.
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Medically reviewed by Andrey G. Ugay, lead bariatric surgeon. Review date: .
The main points in 30 seconds
- In 2012 Anabel Pantoja told Diez Minutos that she had lost 17 kilos after a gastric band and that it changed her life; she later explained it on Sálvame, quoted by Mujerhoy.
- She described the band as a ring at the top of the stomach that makes her feel full sooner, and combined it with diet and exercise.
- Today sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass are done laparoscopically through four small punctures.
- The clinic stay is 1–5 days, office work resumes after 2–4 weeks, and the final result is reached in 1.5–2 years.
- At City Medical Centre sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600, and the consultation is free.
Key facts about the procedure
- Back to work2–4 weeks
- Stay in clinic1–5 days
- Final result18–24 months
- Price
$4,800from $3,600
Profile
Anabel Pantoja
- Country
- Spain
- Who
- Spanish TV personality and influencer
- Quote source
- Diez Minutos, 20 June 2012
I have lost 17 kilos and it has changed my life. (Five months earlier she decided to have a gastric band fitted.)
What did Anabel Pantoja say about her gastric band?
In June 2012 she told Diez Minutos: “I have lost 17 kilos and it has changed my life.” The magazine explained that five months earlier she had decided to have a gastric band fitted and to follow a diet.
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WhatsAppYears later, on the programme Sálvame, she described how it works for her. As quoted by Mujerhoy in 2017: “I had the operation four years ago. I have a ring placed at the opening of my stomach to reduce it, so I feel full sooner when I eat.” By then she had lost about 30 kilos. In 2019, as ABC reported, she answered her followers' questions in an Instagram post and named the operation directly: a gastric band.
That is all we rely on here. The exact dates she gave vary slightly between interviews, and she did not describe medical details beyond the band itself, so this article does not guess at them. Where the text below explains methods and timelines, it describes bariatric surgery in general, not her treatment.
Why her openness matters
Weight-loss surgery is still surrounded by the idea that it is an “easy way out”. Anabel Pantoja has said the opposite in practice: she combined the band with diet and exercise and has talked about it publicly for more than a decade. For many people living with obesity, hearing a familiar face describe surgery as one tool among several makes it easier to talk to a doctor about it.
More on this topic: Bariatric surgery with support all the way to your result, Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB), Gastric Sleeve (Sleeve Gastrectomy), Bariatric Operations in Phoenix, Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Pietermaritzburg.
Her story also shows that obesity treatment is long-term. Any bariatric operation works together with new eating habits, regular follow-up and patience: the final result of modern operations is reached in 1.5–2 years.
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How bariatric surgery works today
A gastric band, like the one Anabel Pantoja described, is a ring placed around the upper stomach. Today the operations most often discussed are sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. At City Medical Centre four procedures are performed — sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass and SADI-S — all laparoscopically through four small punctures of 5–15 mm.
What the surgeon does
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Removes most of the stomach, leaving a narrow tube
- Gastric bypass
- Creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes part of the intestine
Usually considered for
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- BMI 35–45
- Gastric bypass
- BMI over 45–50, especially with type 2 diabetes
Average excess weight loss
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- 60–70%
- Gastric bypass
- 75–85%
Access
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Laparoscopic, 4 small punctures
- Gastric bypass
- Laparoscopic, 4 small punctures
Price at City Medical Centre
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- $3,600
- Gastric bypass
- $4,000
Mini gastric bypass gives up to 75–80% excess weight loss, and SADI-S 80–90% for a BMI over 50. Which option fits is decided after examinations, not from a celebrity story.
Who it suits, and how to prepare
Bariatric surgery is considered for a BMI above 40, or above 35 with serious related conditions, and sometimes lower if non-surgical approaches have failed. Before surgery patients have blood and urine tests, biochemistry, HbA1c and a coagulation panel, and see a GP, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, cardiologist and, for women, a gynaecologist. Fast carbohydrates and fats are cut 2–4 weeks before, and smoking is stopped a month before.
Recovery
You may sit up, stand and drink fluids within the first hours, and you stay at the clinic for 1 to 5 days depending on the extent of surgery. Office work is possible after 2–4 weeks, physical work after about 1.5 months. For 1–2 months the diet moves step by step from liquids to soft food to solids. On average about 10% of excess weight is lost per month; the final result is reached in 1.5–2 years. After a bypass, vitamins and minerals are needed for life. The timeline further down shows the usual stages.
How recovery after bariatric surgery usually goes
- First hoursYou may sit up, stand and drink fluids.
- Days 1–5Observation at the clinic, depending on the extent of surgery.
- Weeks 2–4Return to office work; physical work after about 1.5 months.
- Months 1–2Staged diet from liquids to soft food to solids.
- Every monthOn average about 10% of excess weight is lost.
- 1.5–2 yearsFinal result; stable eating habits keep the weight off.
Bariatric surgery at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass and SADI-S for international patients. Sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and gastric bypass $4,000. The surgeon's consultation is free and can start online; the final plan is set after examinations and fixed in the contract, and the team follows up during the first year. More details are on the bariatric surgery page. You can also send your questions on Telegram.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Anabel Pantoja or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of a woman who talked openly about weight-loss surgery.
Frequently asked questions
What weight-loss operation did Anabel Pantoja have?
She has said she had a gastric band, a ring placed at the top of the stomach so she feels full sooner. She talked about it in Diez Minutos in 2012, on Sálvame and on Instagram.
How much weight did she lose?
In 2012 she said she had lost 17 kilos and that it changed her life; by 2017 she had lost about 30 kilos, combining the band with diet and exercise.
Is bariatric surgery a quick fix?
No. It works together with new eating habits and follow-up. The final result of modern operations is reached in 1.5–2 years.
How much does bariatric surgery cost at City Medical Centre?
Sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and gastric bypass $4,000. The final plan and price are fixed in the contract after examinations.
When can I go back to work?
Office work is usually possible after 2–4 weeks, physical work after about 1.5 months.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Diez Minutos, 20 June 2012
- Mujerhoy, 26 July 2017
- ABC, 1 March 2019
Medical background and further reading
General information about the procedure from health authorities and medical societies. It is not advice for any individual patient.
- PubMed / NCBI — Benefits and Risks of Bariatric Surgery in Adults: A Review (JAMA, 2020)
- PubMed / NCBI — Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy vs Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: systematic review and meta-analysis (2016)
- World Health Organization — Obesity and overweight
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery — Bariatric Surgery Procedures
How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer
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