Gastric bypass surgery at Spire Southampton Hospital

At Spire Southampton Hospital, we provide comprehensive private hospital care for our patients across the South Coast. We have an expert team of bariatric surgeons (consultants specialising in weight loss surgery) for you to choose from. They can carry out gastric bypass surgery which can help you lose weight if changes to diet and exercise haven't worked. You’ll have a treatment and recovery plan that’s personalised to suit your lifestyle.

Our surgeons work with a multidisciplinary team consisting of a psychologist, dietitian, anaesthetist, bariatric nurse and healthcare assistant. They'll help you throughout your treatment and recovery, so that you get the support you need.

A dietitian will help you with your pre-operative liver reduction diet (if required) and a diet plan following surgery.

Getting here

We’re a 10 minute taxi ride from Southampton Central train station or 15 minutes from Southampton International Airport. There’s free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

Your first appointment will take place in one of our 16 consulting rooms. Your consultant will discuss your medical history with you and explain your different options. There’ll be plenty of time to ask any questions. You’ll be able to talk about:

• What surgery involves – they may recommend gastric sleeve surgery to begin with
• What’s included in your treatment costs
• Your anaesthetic and how it might affect you
• Any potential complications and risks of surgery
• What’s involved in your recovery, including your aftercare plan which includes changes to your diet and lifestyle

If you decide you’d like to go ahead with a gastric bypass, you’ll meet a psychologist and anaesthetist so they can further assess if surgery is right for you. Your pre-operative assessment may include:

• Blood tests
• MRSA swabs

On the day of your surgery:

• You’ll be able to meet your anaesthetics and surgical team
• You’ll have a general anaesthetic so you'll be asleep
• Once it's taken effect, your surgeon will begin the operation to reduce the size of your stomach
• They’ll then connect it to the lower part of your small intestine

The procedure takes between one and three hours. If you’ve come with a friend or family member, they’re welcome to wait in your room or our restaurant while you have your operation.

You’ll stay in hospital for around two nights after your surgery. You’ll have your own large en-suite room. All of our rooms have:

• TV
• En-suite
• Bedside cabinet
• Two armchairs
• Window
• Telephone

While you’re in hospital, your nursing team will give you pain relief as and when you need it to make sure you’re comfortable.

After you leave hospital, we’ll arrange to see you regularly so we can keep track of your progress and ensure you’re recovering and losing weight as intended. Your dietitian will be available by email and telephone and will schedule regular follow-ups with you.

Spire Southampton Hospital now offers ‘The Weigh Forward’ Support Group. You're invited to join this moderated Facebook group when you're discharged. Patients can share recipes and offer peer support and are invited to attend a quarterly meeting at our hospital’s physiotherapy centre where we have inspirational speakers (previous patients) and members of the multidisciplinary team on hand to give talks and offer support.

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