Did Raluca Bădulescu have stomach-reduction surgery? Yes, and she talked about it herself

According to Libertatea, which published her account on 15 September 2025, she explained why she made that decision: “Inițial, această operație am făcut-o strict din motive de sănătate, pentru că aveam aproape 40 de ani și ficatul era înecat în grăsime” (“Initially I had this surgery strictly for health reasons, because I was almost 40 and my liver was drowning in fat”). She has said she started at 121 kg, lost 20 kg in the very first month, and has kept a steady weight of around 57-58 kg ever since - more than 70 kg down from where she began in 2013.

That is everything we rely on here. Beyond naming the procedure as a gastric sleeve, Raluca Bădulescu has not gone into surgical detail, so this article does not guess at it. Wherever the sections below describe methods, timelines or candidates, they describe bariatric surgery in general - not her personal treatment.

The second is how she lives with the result more than a decade later: small, frequent meals rather than a strict diet, by her own account eating many times a day but very little each time.

She has also been open about the criticism that followed her transformation, saying she is simply healthy, active and happy regardless of what people online assume. That matches how doctors describe a successful outcome: the operation changes how much food a person can comfortably eat, but the long-term result depends on keeping new habits for good, not on a single procedure.

• Mini gastric bypass (one-anastomosis) and SADI-S - used for specific situations, including a very high BMI.

A sleeve gives up some of its durability if the new eating habits are not kept, which is close to the point Bădulescu makes about eating very small portions many times a day. The procedure that fits best is decided at a consultation, based on weight, health and medical history.

• cutting fast carbohydrates and fats 2-4 weeks before surgery;
• stopping smoking at least a month before.

Bădulescu herself has said she had tests before her operation that showed exactly how much the excess weight had affected her organs - close to what this screening is meant to catch early, for anyone, before a decision is made.

Swimming is allowed after about 30 days, and travel is best planned no earlier than a month after the operation. Weight settles over 1.5-2 years, and vitamins are taken for life. Pregnancy is recommended no earlier than 12-18 months after the procedure.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Raluca Bădulescu or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of someone who spoke openly about the operation and the discipline that followed it.