Gastric bypass surgery at Spire Portsmouth Hospital

Spire Portsmouth Hospital is an established local private hospital providing comprehensive treatments and care to our patients in Hampshire and West Sussex. We have nationally and internationally renowned bariatric surgeons (consultants specialising in weight loss surgery) who perform gastric bypass surgery to help you lose weight when diet and exercise haven’t worked.

Getting here

Spire Portsmouth Hospital is located on the West Sussex/Hampshire border in Havant, just off the B2148 Rowlands Castle to Emsworth Road. We’re a 20 minute drive from Chichester or Fareham.

Consultations

Your first appointment with your consultant will be in one of our 15 consulting rooms. You’ll have a chance to talk about your medical history and the different options for surgery. There’ll be time for any questions you may have and an opportunity to discuss:

• The procedure and what’s involved - your surgeon may recommend gastric sleeve surgery as a first step
• The treatment costs and what’s included
• Tests you may need before your operation
• Risks and complications, including the anaesthetic
• Your personalised aftercare plan and what this involves, including diet and lifestyle changes

Before going ahead with gastric bypass surgery, you may meet a psychologist, dietitian and anaesthetist so they can make further assessments on whether surgery is right for you.

You’ll also need to have a pre-operative assessment which may include:

• An electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Blood tests
• Endoscopy

Your gastric bypass surgery takes one to three hours, but you’ll stay in hospital for one to two days afterwards. You’ll have a comfortable, private room with all the comforts and conveniences you’d expect to find at home, including:

• TV with Freeview
• A garden view window
• Armchair
• Wardrobe

On the day of your operation, there’ll be a chance to meet your anaesthetist and the surgical team. You’ll have a general anaesthetic so you'll be asleep for the operation, which involves your surgeon reducing the size of your stomach and connecting it to the lower part of your small intestine.

If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in our restaurant while you have your operation.

While you’re in hospital, your nursing team will give you pain relief to make sure you’re comfortable.

After you leave hospital, your consultant will arrange to see you at regular intervals so we can keep track of your progress and ensure you’re recovering and losing weight as intended.

The service includes a follow-up programme of support to help you monitor your diet and give you advice about eating. Your consultant will explain this to you at your consultation.

Although everyone’s different, here’s a typical recovery guide for gastric bypass surgery: