Gastric bypass surgery package and cost
Waiting time: none
Length of hospital stay: 3 nights (included in the package)
Minimum length of stay required abroad: 7 to 10 days
Cost of the gastric bypass procedure: €3,400 laparoscopically, €5,150 robotically.
The package includes:
- The doctor's fees for the initial and follow-up examinations
- The fees of the general surgeon and the assistant surgeon
- Before the procedure: consultations with the anaesthetist, endocrinologist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, nutrition specialist and psychologist, blood tests, ECG, echocardiography and chest X-ray.
- Gastroscopy and abdominal ultrasound before the procedure
- Operating theatre costs
- Accommodation for up to 3 nights in the surgical unit: standard room, nursing care costs, meal costs on the standard menu for the patient and 1 companion.
- The medical equipment and supplies needed for the procedure, as well as the related medication
- An online consultation with the surgeon from your own country after the procedure
What is gastric bypass?
Over the past 30 years, gastric bypass procedures have been the most common type of procedure in the United States, the country that performs the most bariatric operations in the world. The bypass technique used has evolved over the years. Today, reconstruction of the digestive system by gastric bypass is a highly effective and safe procedure when carried out by experienced bariatric surgeons. For suitable candidates, the benefits of this procedure far outweigh its risks.
Gastric bypass is a combined procedure that has both a restrictive effect and a malabsorptive effect. The first stage of the procedure consists of separating a small portion of 30 to 35 ml in the upper part of the stomach using a stapler, thereby creating a new, smaller gastric pouch. This produces a feeling of fullness with a small amount of food. The second stage of the procedure is the bypass of the small intestine. In other words, the rest of the stomach and part of the small intestine are bypassed. This part continues to carry the enzymes involved in digestion, such as gastric acid, bile and pancreatic juices. The new gastric pouch is joined to a segment of the small intestine located about 150 to 200 cm further down; this means that part of the food eaten is eliminated without being absorbed.
Another mechanism gives the procedure most of its metabolic power. Certain hormones secreted by the last part of the small intestine, called incretins, act in parallel to support the insulin that regulates blood glucose. It is also from this part that the hormones that produce the feeling of fullness and reduce appetite are secreted.
How does gastric bypass work?
As with other types of bariatric surgery, we perform the gastric bypass procedure laparoscopically, that is, without opening the abdominal cavity, through incisions of only 4 mm. The procedure lasts 3 to 4 hours. Of course, this may vary depending on the patient's anatomy and any previous procedures they have had. The average length of hospital stay is 3 to 4 days.
How much weight is lost after a gastric bypass procedure?
Gastric bypass surgery is a very powerful weapon in your fight against obesity. Most patients lose 65 to 90% of their excess weight in the first year after the procedure. Gastric bypass also gives excellent results in the treatment of obesity-related comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, high cholesterol and acid reflux. As with other procedures, if patients do not follow our recommendations on healthy eating and regular physical activity, weight loss may slow down, or the weight lost may even be regained.
When calorie absorption decreases, the absorption of certain other essential nutrients also decreases. The bypassed part of the small intestine is responsible for the absorption of calcium, folic acid, iron and B vitamins. To avoid serious health problems, you must prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies and, after the bypass procedure, take individually prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements.
How long does the recovery period after the procedure last? When can I go home?
About 7 to 10 days. We recommend that our patients are followed up by a dietitian and a psychologist for at least 2 years after the procedure.
Robot-assisted gastric bypass surgery
Surgical treatment is the method whose effectiveness has been demonstrated in patients with severe obesity and treatment-resistant type 2 diabetes. All bariatric and metabolic surgery procedures can be performed using minimally invasive methods (laparoscopic and robotic).
Available in only a few centres and able to be performed by only a small number of surgeons, ROBOT-ASSISTED SURGERY is, in many respects, superior to laparoscopic surgery. Robotic surgery has all the advantages of laparoscopic surgery — less pain, a shorter hospital stay and good cosmetic results. The cosmetic results of robotic surgery are excellent.
Robotic surgery can also be regarded as an advanced form of laparoscopic surgery. Its operating principles are close to those of laparoscopy. First, 4 to 5 incisions of 8 mm are made in the abdominal wall, and the abdomen is then inflated with carbon dioxide to create a working space. Robotic arms specially designed for robotic surgery, which avoid damaging the abdominal wall, are then connected to these ports. The procedure is carried out using these highly mobile arms. A high-resolution camera is inserted through one of the ports and transmits the surgical images both to the console from which the surgeon directs the operation and to the large screen placed at the head of the operating table. From this stage, the first surgeon hands over to an experienced assistant, sits at his or her own console and performs the procedure through the commands transmitted from it. The surgical console is the workstation where all the settings relating to the robot are made; the surgeon performs the operation using specific hand-held controls. The surgeon's movements are transmitted to the robot's arms, and the procedure is carried out thanks to the precision of the robotic arms' movements and their ease of access in confined spaces.
The three-dimensional, high-quality image from the robotic camera gives the surgeon the impression of operating with the naked eye. Thanks to the magnified image, even structures that the human eye can barely distinguish appear more clearly. The "wrist" part of the robotic arms works in the same way as the human wrist. With its high degree of mobility, it is even more flexible than the human wrist. This mobility makes it easy to carry out many complex procedures with the robot, including in confined spaces. As these instruments are also powerful, they make the procedure easier, particularly in overweight (obese) patients. Thanks to all of the characteristics listed above, robotic surgery allows the surgeon to carry out the operative steps with great precision.
In short, robotic surgery, which makes all the possibilities of modern technology available, can be used safely in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Robotic gastric bypass package and price
Waiting time: none
Length of hospital stay: 3 nights (included in the package)
Minimum length of stay required abroad: 7 to 10 days
Price of robotic gastric bypass surgery: €5,150
The package includes:
- The medical fees for the initial and follow-up consultations
- The fees of the general surgeon and the assistant surgeon
- Before the procedure: consultations with the anaesthetist, endocrinologist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, nutritionist and psychologist, laboratory blood tests, ECG, echocardiography and chest X-ray.
- Before the procedure: gastroscopy and abdominal ultrasound
- Operating theatre costs
- Accommodation for up to 3 nights on the surgical floor: standard room, nursing care fees, standard menu, meal costs for the patient and 1 companion.
- The medical equipment and consumables needed for the procedure, as well as the medication related to the procedure
- An online consultation with the surgeon from your own country during the post-operative period.
Abdulcabbar Kartal
Assoc. Prof. Dr.
Bariatric Surgery
Abdulcabbar Kartal
Assoc. Prof. Dr.
Bariatric Surgery
Experienced bariatric surgeon who has performed more than 500 laparoscopic and robot-assisted procedures. He holds a certification in minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy / Da Vinci robotic surgery).
Areas of expertise and interests
- Bariatric surgery (sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, SADI (single-anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass))
- Robot-assisted bariatric surgery
- Advanced laparoscopic surgery
- Laparoscopic and open surgery for stomach cancer
- Laparoscopic hernia surgery (TAP, TEPP, ventral hernia)
- Laparoscopic and open colorectal surgery
Education and career
- Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine
- Şişli Etfal Training and Research Hospital
- Şanlıurfa Public Hospital
- Okan University Hospital
- Konak Private Hospital
- Anadolu Medical Center
Institutional affiliations
- European Society of Coloproctology (Board-certified), member
- Turkish Society of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery
- Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (Board-certified), member
- Turkish Surgical Society (Board-certified), member
- Turkish Association of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery, member
- Turkish Association of Traumatology and Emergency Surgery, member