Bariatric surgeryHungary6 min read
Kunovics Katinka and her stomach-reduction surgery: in her own words
In January 2025 the Hungarian singer and TV personality Kunovics Katinka, known from the band Romantic, told the press that she had travelled to Turkey for stomach-reduction surgery. She was clear about why: not to lose weight as such, but to stop it coming back. Here is what she said, where it was published, and what this kind of operation involves for anyone thinking about it today.
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Medically reviewed by Andrey G. Ugay, lead bariatric surgeon. Review date: .
The main points in 30 seconds
- Two weeks after her operation Kunovics Katinka told Femina that she had stomach-reduction surgery, done in Turkey.
- She said her problem was not losing weight but keeping it off, and in autumn 2025 told Blikk she had lost 35 kilos since the start of the year.
- 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
Kunovics Katinka
- Country
- Hungary
- Who
- TV personality and influencer
- Year of operation
- 2025
- Quote source
- Femina, 24 January 2025
It is fine if anyone judges me for the operation, but I did not have it done to lose weight. I can lose weight on my own; my problem is that I cannot keep it off. It takes a toll not only on your looks but on your health when your weight jumps up and down by 40–50 kilos. I hope I have now fixed this for life.
What did Kunovics Katinka say about her surgery?
Two weeks after the operation she spoke to Femina, and her explanation was direct: “It is fine if anyone judges me for the operation, but I did not have it done to lose weight. I can lose weight on my own; my problem is that I cannot keep it off. It takes a toll not only on your looks but on your health when your weight jumps up and down by 40–50 kilos. I hope I have now fixed this for life.”
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WhatsAppA few weeks later, as NLC reported, she added that she would make the same decision again: “If it came to it, I would have it done again, because I know that for me this may be the only way to lose the extra 45 kilos.” In autumn 2025 she told Blikk that she had lost 35 kilos since the start of the year, that her fatty liver and underactive thyroid results were improving, and that she still wanted to lose around 20 kilos more.
That is all we rely on here. She described the operation as stomach-reduction surgery done in Turkey; she did not give a technical name that would let us say which exact procedure it was, so this article does not guess. Where the text below explains methods and recovery, it describes bariatric surgery in general, not her treatment.
Why her reason is the important part
Many people see weight-loss surgery as a shortcut. Kunovics Katinka described it the other way round. She had lost large amounts of weight many times by dieting; what she could not do was hold the result.
More on this topic: Bariatric surgery with support all the way to your result, Gastric Sleeve (Sleeve Gastrectomy), Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Bariatric Operations in Phoenix, Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Pietermaritzburg.
That is exactly the situation in which surgeons start talking about an operation: repeated weight cycling of tens of kilos, and health problems that come with it.
She also pointed out that the swings hurt her health, not just her appearance. Obesity and repeated weight gain are linked with fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and joint problems. The aim of surgery is to change the long-term picture, and the decision is medical, made with a surgeon, not a matter of anyone's opinion of how someone looks.
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How bariatric surgery is done today
Modern bariatric operations are performed laparoscopically, through a few small punctures in the abdomen. Some reduce the size of the stomach; others also change the route food takes through the intestine. The operations offered at City Medical Centre compare as follows:
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. The mini bypass carries a risk of bile reflux. Which option fits depends on BMI, related conditions and eating habits, and is decided at a consultation.
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. A history like the one she described, with large weight losses followed by regain, is one of the things the surgeon asks about. 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 life after the operation
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.
Kunovics Katinka described the same pattern: only liquids for the first two weeks, then small portions. She also stressed habits, such as not eating and drinking at the same time, and training together with her husband. Swimming is fine after around 30 days, and the final result is assessed after one and a half to two years.
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 1–2Liquids only, following the surgeon's diet plan.
- Weeks 2–4Office work resumes; diet moves on to soft food.
- Months 1–2Ordinary food returns in small portions; 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.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Kunovics Katinka or her treatment. Her words are quoted here because she spoke about her decision publicly.
Frequently asked questions
When did Kunovics Katinka have her surgery?
She had stomach-reduction surgery in Turkey in January 2025 and spoke about it to the Hungarian press two weeks later.
Why did Kunovics Katinka choose surgery?
She said she did not do it to lose weight, because she could do that on her own, but because she could not keep the weight off and it kept moving up and down by 40–50 kilos.
How much weight did she lose?
In autumn 2025 she told Blikk that she had lost 35 kilos since the start of the year and wanted to lose about 20 more.
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.
Does surgery stop weight regain for good?
It changes how much you can eat and makes long-term weight control much easier, but results depend on diet and habits after the operation. The surgeon and team follow up during the first year.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
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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