Bariatric surgeryPoland5 min read
Did Kinga Zawodnik have bariatric surgery? Yes, and she explained it herself
In August 2023 the Polish influencer and TV personality Kinga Zawodnik told her followers that she had decided on bariatric surgery and had a sleeve gastrectomy. A few months later she shared the number she had promised to reveal: her starting weight. Here is what she said, where it was reported, and what the operation 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 August 2023, as Pudelek reported, Kinga Zawodnik told her followers that she had decided on bariatric surgery and had a sleeve gastrectomy.
- She called it a conscious decision she grew into over two years, and in October 2023 shared that she started at 149.2 kg and had lost 27.2 kg.
- At City Medical Centre bariatric operations are laparoscopic, through four small punctures of 5–15 mm.
- Patients get up on the first day, usually leave hospital after one to five days and return to office work after two to four weeks.
- At City Medical Centre a sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600, and the first consultation with the surgeon 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
Kinga Zawodnik
- Country
- Poland
- Who
- Influencer and TV personality
- Quote source
- Pudelek, 19 October 2023
Yes, I decided on bariatric surgery. I have had a sleeve gastrectomy. I insisted that for me an operation was the last resort… As you know, my weight has gone up and down: it rose, fell, rose again… It is my conscious decision, one I grew into over two years. It came with tears, fear, uncertainty, anxiety and even depression.
What did Kinga Zawodnik say about her surgery?
Zawodnik announced it on social media at the beginning of August 2023. Pudelek quoted her words: “Yes, I decided on bariatric surgery. I have had a sleeve gastrectomy. I insisted that for me an operation was the last resort… As you know, my weight has gone up and down: it rose, fell, rose again… It is my conscious decision, one I grew into over two years. It came with tears, fear, uncertainty, anxiety and even depression.”
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WhatsAppIn October 2023 she kept a promise to her followers and shared her starting point, as reported in the same article: “My dear ones. Yes… I started at 149.2 kg. I have lost 27.2 kg and now weigh 122 kg. I don’t know what the information about how much I weighed before gives anyone, but I promised I would give that number.” She also said that one thing about her had not changed: her smile, even on bad days.
That is everything we rely on here. Zawodnik named the operation — a sleeve gastrectomy — but did not name the hospital or the surgeon in these statements, and this article does not either. Where the text below explains methods and recovery, it describes bariatric surgery in general, not her treatment.
A decision that took two years
The most useful part of her statement is the timeline. She did not decide overnight: she had tried for years to control her weight, treated surgery as a last resort, and took two years to accept it. That is how a bariatric operation should be approached — as a medical treatment chosen after other options, not as a quick fix.
More on this topic: Bariatric surgery with support all the way to your result, Gastric Sleeve (Sleeve Gastrectomy), Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Benoni, Gastric Sleeve and Bypass in Harare.
She was also honest about the emotions around it. Fear and uncertainty before weight-loss surgery are common, and they are worth discussing openly with the surgeon and, where needed, with a psychologist or psychiatrist, which is part of the standard preparation. Her story shows that it is possible to talk about this calmly and without shame.
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Prices, the clinic and a free online consultation for each city:
How bariatric surgery works today
In a sleeve gastrectomy most of the stomach is removed, leaving a narrow tube; less food fits in, and hunger signals change. Other operations change the route food takes through the digestive system. At City Medical Centre all of them are performed laparoscopically, through small punctures:
How it works
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Most of the stomach is removed, leaving a narrow tube
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
- A small pouch is connected directly to the small intestine
- Mini gastric bypass
- One connection between pouch and intestine
- SADI-S
- Sleeve combined with a single intestinal bypass
Usually considered for
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- BMI 35–45
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
- BMI over 45–50, type 2 diabetes
- Mini gastric bypass
- Chosen individually
- SADI-S
- BMI over 50
Average excess weight loss
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- 60–70%
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
- 75–85%
- Mini gastric bypass
- Up to 75–80%
- SADI-S
- 80–90%
The sleeve involves no intestinal bypass but can be less durable if the diet is not followed. Bypass-type operations give larger weight loss and require vitamins and minerals for life.
Who is a candidate and how to prepare
Surgery is generally considered with a BMI above 40, or above 35 with serious related conditions such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, and sometimes lower when non-surgical approaches have not worked. Before the operation:
- blood and urine tests, biochemistry, HbA1c and clotting tests;
- consultations with a GP, endocrinologist, cardiologist, psychiatrist and gynaecologist;
- two to four weeks of cutting down fast carbohydrates and fats;
- no smoking for at least a month before surgery.
Recovery and the first months
Patients get up on the first day and usually leave hospital after one to five days. Office work typically resumes after two to four weeks, physical work after about six. Eating returns in stages over one to two months: liquids, then soft food, then ordinary textures.
Weight loss is fastest in the first months and then slows; the final result is assessed after one and a half to two years, and women are advised to wait 12–18 months before a pregnancy.
How recovery after bariatric surgery usually goes
- Day of surgeryLaparoscopic operation through a few small punctures.
- Day 1You get out of bed and walk.
- Days 1–5Discharge, depending on the procedure and your recovery.
- Weeks 2–4Office work resumes; diet moves from liquids to soft food.
- Months 1–2Ordinary food returns; swimming and travel are allowed.
- Months 18–24Weight settles and the final result is assessed.
Bariatric surgery at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre offers sleeve gastrectomy ($3,600), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass ($4,000), mini gastric bypass and SADI-S, all through four small laparoscopic punctures of 5–15 mm. The first consultation with the surgeon is free and can be done online; after the assessment the doctor recommends a procedure and the price is fixed in the contract.
A personal coordinator accompanies the patient from the first enquiry to recovery, and the team follows up throughout the first year. See the bariatric surgery page for details.
City Medical Centre has no connection with Kinga Zawodnik or her treatment. Her words are quoted here because she spoke about her decision publicly.
Frequently asked questions
What operation did Kinga Zawodnik have?
She said in August 2023 that she had decided on bariatric surgery and had a sleeve gastrectomy.
How much did Kinga Zawodnik weigh before the operation?
In October 2023 she said she started at 149.2 kg, had lost 27.2 kg and weighed 122 kg at that point.
Is a sleeve gastrectomy reversible?
No. Most of the stomach is removed permanently, which is why the decision is made carefully with the surgeon after other options have been considered.
How much does bariatric surgery cost at City Medical Centre?
A sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and a gastric bypass $4,000. The first consultation is free and the final price is fixed in the contract.
How is the right operation chosen?
The surgeon looks at BMI, related conditions such as diabetes, eating habits and test results, then recommends the procedure at a consultation.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Pudelek, 19 October 2023
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
Considering the same operation? Get a free consultation
Message a coordinator on Telegram: we reply right in the chat, and you can send photos and questions there too.
- The first consultation is free, online consultations are available
- The doctor names the cost after the assessment, and it is fixed in the contract
- A personal coordinator guides you from the first message to recovery
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