Bariatric Surgery: Duration, Cost and Step by Step

• Bariatric surgery is a medical specialty aimed at treating obesity through surgical procedures.
• Some of these surgical treatments help reduce the stomach by up to 80%.
• This type of surgery helps patients decrease their appetite, as the feeling of fullness is reached more quickly after the operation.

In this article, we will tell you everything about bariatric surgery, the most common techniques used, the different surgical treatments currently performed and their characteristics, such as the duration of the procedure, how it is carried out step by step, and its fixed price at Operarme.

If you are interested in learning more about this specialty, we invite you to keep reading to discover everything you need to know about obesity surgery.

Bariatric surgery is a surgical procedure aimed at treating obesity and morbid obesity in a patient.

A widespread misconception about this type of surgery is that it is a cosmetic treatment.

We can state that bariatric surgery is not cosmetic surgery, as its purpose is to treat a serious health problem in order to improve people’s quality of life and even save their lives.

Bariatric surgeries are not cosmetic procedures, nor do they have aesthetic purposes.

Bariatric techniques help to reduce the amount of food ingested, which means the feeling of fullness is reached more quickly than before the operation, and they also limit calorie absorption.

As mentioned, bariatric surgery helps to improve patients’ health and quality of life, but it can also help people with conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnoea.

It is also important to mention that bariatric surgery is the last option considered when an obese patient is trying to lose weight.

Before opting directly for surgery, patients suffering from obesity or morbid obesity usually begin with conventional treatments such as a diet, a physical exercise plan, or even pharmacological treatment.

When conventional treatments have not been successful and the patient has not managed to lose weight, surgery is then used as the final solution.

Bariatric surgery techniques

There are three types of bariatric surgery:

1. Restrictive techniques: this surgical technique consists of reducing the size of the stomach to limit the amount of food a patient consumes. An example of a restrictive bariatric operation would be the gastric sleeve.
2. Malabsorptive techniques: this consists of surgically altering the small intestine to reduce its ability to absorb calories and nutrients.
3. Mixed techniques: this technique combines the two previous ones; the size of the stomach is reduced, and it is connected via a tube to the small intestine to decrease the absorption of calories and nutrients. An example of this technique is the gastric bypass.

This weight loss surgery is mainly intended for patients suffering from obesity or morbid obesity, specifically:

• Patients with a BMI over 40 (morbid obesity).
• Patients with a BMI over 35 (obesity) who also present with another condition such as high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.

Within the three surgical techniques that exist in the bariatric specialty, we find different surgical procedures:

• Gastric sleeve or vertical gastrectomy: this is a minimally invasive bariatric technique in which the surgeon removes part of the stomach to reduce its size (by up to 75–80%). By significantly reducing its size, its capacity to absorb food is lower, and therefore the patient feels full more quickly.
• Gastric balloon: this is a surgical procedure in which a temporary balloon-shaped device is inserted into the stomach, creating an early feeling of fullness and making the patient feel “full” more quickly with less food. This option is a temporary, non-definitive solution that is used as a complement to a weight loss programme.

• Gastric bypass: this is an operation in which the surgeon creates a small pouch in the stomach that is connected to the small intestine in order to reduce the amount of food ingested, and thus also reduce the absorption of calories.
• Adjustable gastric band: a surgery in which an adjustable silicone ring is placed around the upper part of the stomach to help reduce its capacity and limit the amount and speed of food passing through it. The band can be adjusted according to the patient’s needs, which is why regular medical follow-up is required. Weight loss with this technique is a slower process compared to techniques such as the gastric sleeve or gastric bypass.

We will now explain in more detail the most common bariatric procedures currently performed, due to their effectiveness and post-surgical results. Keep reading.

Within the surgical procedures available for weight loss, the most common techniques today are the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery, both due to their effectiveness, safety, low risk of complications, and post-surgical results.

Below, we explain in detail how a vertical gastrectomy or sleeve operation, and a gastric bypass operation, are carried out.

Gastric Bypass

On the scheduled day of your surgery, the hospital nursing team will help you prepare to enter the operating theatre; once there, you will meet again with the bariatric surgery specialist and their medical team.

First, the anaesthetist administers the anaesthesia (general), and once you are completely asleep, the surgeon begins the procedure:

1. This surgery is performed laparoscopically: the surgeon makes small incisions (4 to 6) along the abdomen.
2. Through these incisions, the surgical instruments are inserted, along with a camera that projects an image onto the monitor, which serves as a guide for the surgeon during the procedure.
3. The surgeon proceeds to create the gastric pouch, separated from the rest of the stomach, which will help limit the amount of food ingested.
4. Next, the small intestine is divided to connect part of it to the gastric pouch created. The rest of the intestine is reconnected further down to create a circuit that allows the flow of food and digestive juices.
5. Finally, the laparoscope and surgical instruments are removed, and the incisions are sutured to complete the operation.

Once the procedure is finished, the medical team transfers you to a monitoring room, also known as the recovery room, where you remain under medical supervision until you have fully recovered from the effects of the anaesthesia.

Once recovered, the team transfers you back to your private room, where you remain until your hospital discharge.

Gastric Sleeve

On the scheduled day of your gastric sleeve operation, the hospital nursing team will help you prepare to enter the operating theatre; once there, you will meet again with the surgeon and their medical team.

First, the anaesthetist administers the anaesthesia (general), and once you are completely asleep, the surgeon begins the procedure:

1. This surgery is performed laparoscopically: the surgeon makes small incisions (4 or 5) along the abdomen.
2. Through these incisions, the surgical instruments are inserted, along with a camera that projects an image onto the monitor, which serves as a guide for the surgeon during the procedure.
3. The surgeon proceeds with the removal of the stomach: a large part of the stomach is gradually removed until it is reduced in size, shaping the remaining organ into a tubular or “sleeve” form.
4. Finally, the laparoscope and surgical instruments are removed, and the incisions are sutured to complete the procedure.

Once the operation has concluded, you are transferred to a recovery room where you remain under monitoring until you have recovered from the effects of the anaesthesia, after which you are taken back to your private room where you will stay until the day of your discharge.

The duration of a gastric bypass operation is usually between 90 and 150 minutes, depending on the characteristics of the patient and the complexity of the surgical technique itself.

In contrast, a vertical gastrectomy or gastric sleeve operation usually lasts around 60–90 minutes. The difference in time between the two techniques is mainly due to the procedure involved (in the bypass, a pouch is created that the surgeon connects to the small intestine, while in the vertical gastrectomy part of the stomach is removed).

As for the length of hospital stay, both surgeries generally require around 2 days, with a maximum of 3, of admission to properly monitor the patient and allow time for recovery before returning home.

At Operarme, we work to ensure that our patients can undergo the surgical process in the most comfortable way possible, so that they only have to focus on their health.

That is why we offer an all-inclusive fixed price for all our surgeries: you know the final cost of your procedure before confirming that you wish to go ahead or making any payment. This price includes all the elements and services necessary for the surgery to be carried out successfully.

The price of the Gastric Bypass operation is 13.800 €, and the price of the Gastric Sleeve is €12,500 through Operarme.

The cost of both surgeries includes the following elements and services:

• Reservation and use of the operating theatre.
• Medical fees.
• Anaesthetist fees.
• Nursing team fees.
• Hospital stay of 2 to 3 days (in the case of the Gastric Sleeve surgery, up to 2 days are included) in a private room with companion bed. Hospitality and laundry service. Patient hygiene and care products, both disposable and non-disposable. Patient meals.
• Complete preoperative study.
• Psychological assessment consultation.
• Nutritionist consultation.
• Surgical material required for the operation.
• Anaesthesia and recovery room reservation.
• Medical complications insurance.
• Transport service for the day of admission or upon medical discharge.
• 1 postoperative consultation after medical discharge.

If you are interested in booking a surgical assessment appointment with one of our Bariatric Surgery specialists, you can call us on +34 91 141 33 56, send us a message here, or you can also click the “Book Appointment” button to solve your weight problems in the safest and most definitive way: