Weight-Loss Surgery Abroad: What UK Patients Should Know

A gastric sleeve removes around 80% of the stomach. A gastric bypass divides off a small stomach pouch and joins it to the small intestine. A gastric balloon is non-surgical: an empty balloon is placed through the mouth and filled with salt water, and is removed after a set period.

On the NHS, weight-loss surgery is usually considered for people with a BMI of 40 or more, or between 35 and 40 with a condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. It may be considered at a lower BMI for people of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean background.

Whatever your BMI, the surgeon decides whether surgery is suitable for you.

You'll be on liquids for the first two weeks, then soft food, moving to a healthy balanced diet from around week eight. Most people return to normal activities after 4 to 6 weeks.

You'll need follow-up, including blood tests, for at least the first two years and monitoring for life, and you may need vitamin and mineral supplements permanently. Avoid getting pregnant for 12 to 18 months after surgery.

Tell your GP about your plans. Specialist follow-up for surgery done abroad may not be available on the NHS, so agree before you travel how your follow-up and blood tests will be handled.