Gastric bypass surgery at Spire Hartswood Hospital

Spire Hartswood Hospital is a well-established provider of private hospital treatments to patients across Essex and the South East. We have a choice of 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. Your consultant will work alongside our dietitians, nurses and specialists to ensure you get the right treatment and aftercare.

You'll receive support from a dietitian both before and after your operation.

Getting here

At Spire Hartswood Hospital, we’re very easy to reach from the A12, A13 and M11, based just 25 miles from London Stansted Airport and 20 miles from central London. We have free on-site parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

Your initial appointment will take place in one of our consultation rooms with a bariatric nurse before you see a consultant. During your consultations, we’ll:

• Ask about your medical history
• Explain about the different surgical methods – your consultant may recommend gastric sleeve surgery first
• They’ll explain what’s included in your treatment price
• Explain about your aftercare, the diet and exercise plan you’ll need to follow and how the operation will affect your lifestyle in the long term
• Discuss risks and complications

The consultations give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Once you and your consultant have decided to go ahead with a gastric bypass, you’ll be assessed by a psychologist, an anaesthetist and a bariatric specialist nurse. 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 at least two nights afterwards. You’ll have a comfortable, private room with all the comforts and conveniences you’d expect to find at home, including:

• A wall-mounted TV
• WiFi access
• An en-suite bathroom
• Comfortable chairs for your visitors

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 for the operation, which involves your surgeon reducing the size of your stomach and connecting it to the lower part of your small intestine.

During your stay, you’ll be given painkillers for any discomfort. Your nursing team will make sure you have everything you need at all times.

We’ll have follow-up appointments with you after you leave hospital to check you're recovering and losing weight as expected.

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