Darko Lazić and his stomach-reduction surgery: what he said himself

The paper quoted him explaining why he chose the operation: “…moving around was also a problem because of the weight. My blood test results weren’t very good either, which could have led to much bigger problems. I talked to doctors and they told me the best solution was to reduce my stomach. The whole procedure went without problems; I have a few small incisions on my abdomen.”

Two years later Blic returned to the topic in an overview of well-known people who had weight-loss surgery and quoted another sentence of his: “The best and most effective solution was precisely the operation.” He added that for the first five or six days after leaving hospital his stomach muscles felt as if they were sore.

That is all we rely on here. Lazić did not name the exact type of operation, his starting weight or his diet plan in these statements, so this article does not guess at them. Where the text below explains methods and timelines, it describes bariatric surgery in general, not his treatment.

Many people who consider weight-loss surgery keep it secret because they fear being told they took the easy way. A well-known singer saying plainly that the operation was the most effective solution for him makes the topic easier to raise with a doctor. Surgery does not replace a change in eating habits; it gives the body a tool that makes the change possible and lasting when diets have repeatedly failed.

• Gastric bypass — a small stomach pouch is created and connected directly to the small intestine. Less food fits in and fewer calories are absorbed.

City Medical Centre also performs the mini gastric bypass and SADI-S, which is used for a BMI over 50. Which operation fits depends on weight, related illnesses and eating habits — the choice is made at a consultation, not from a celebrity story.

Before surgery patients have blood and urine tests, biochemistry, an HbA1c test and a coagulation panel, and see a GP, an endocrinologist, a psychiatrist and a cardiologist (women also a gynaecologist). It is recommended to cut fast carbohydrates and fats two to four weeks before the operation and to stop smoking a month before.

Office work is usually possible after two to four weeks, physical work after about six weeks, and swimming after 30 days. Long journeys are best planned no earlier than a month after surgery. Weight loss is fastest in the first months, and the final result is judged after one and a half to two years. After a bypass, vitamins and minerals are needed for life.

The team follows up with patients during the first year, and a personal coordinator stays in touch from the first message to recovery. More details are on the bariatric surgery page.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Darko Lazić or his treatment. His story is simply a well-known example of a man who talked openly about the operation.