Are you considering having bariatric surgery? Have you been thinking about going overseas to benefit from high quality treatment at a fraction of the cost charged here in the UK? If so, you certainly aren’t alone. In fact, more people than ever before are looking abroad when it comes to finding a clinic to carry out their weight loss surgery. While there are lots of destinations offering medical tourism packages, most patients prefer to stay fairly close to home. They don’t want the stress and hassle of a long haul flight after surgery, and therefore a European destination is more appealing. However, which is the best country in Europe for gastric sleeve surgery?
Although countries like Germany and Belgium have been popular choices for UK citizens looking for overseas weight loss surgery, there has been an increasing trend of patients looking towards the Baltic States to find high quality surgery at competitive prices.
Riga, Latvia’s capital city, is becoming a popular choice among UK bariatric patients thanks to the excellent medical facilities the city has to offer and the much lower prices for weight loss surgery. Gastric sleeve surgery is just one of the affordable weight loss treatments available in Latvia, and more patients than ever before are now citing Latvia as the best country in Europe for gastric sleeve surgery.
What Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Before we look at why Latvia is a such a popular choice among patients travelling abroad for treatment, we need to explain what gastric sleeve surgery is.
These days, more people are obese than ever before, and many of those who suffer from this problem are seeking an effective and loss-lasting solution when diet and exercise have failed for them. Bariatric surgery may be a major operation, but it is certainly an effective way to significantly reduce body fat and to reach a healthy weight.
Gastric sleeve surgery (sometimes known as a sleeve gastrectomy) is one form of weight loss surgery. This type of surgery involves isolating part of the patient’s stomach and physically removing it. Once the larger part of the stomach has been removed, the patient will be unable to eat as much food. They will feel full very quickly even after only eating a very small amount, and this means that their appetite is effectively regulated. The patient will also be able to absorb fewer calories from food and this too boosts their weight loss.
Why Is Latvia The Best Country In Europe For Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Although gastric sleeve surgery is available on the NHS, not every patient is eligible for this free treatment. There are very strict eligibility criteria which the patient must meet, and even when the patient does meet all of those criteria, they will need to wait for many months or even years before they can finally be put on the waiting list for surgery in the UK. Although private treatment is possible in the United Kingdom, it is extremely expensive and therefore out of the reach of many patients who could benefit from the operation. It’s no wonder then that so many people are looking towards the Baltic States and Latvia specifically for their surgery.
Latvia offers some of the best healthcare for patients in the Baltic States, offering excellent clinic facilities and highly trained surgeons and healthcare practitioners. The bariatric specialists here are extremely experienced and can fully explain the procedure to the patient. They are also well-placed to handle any possible complications since they will have performed many more operations than their UK surgical counterparts. Gastric sleeve surgery is still relatively new in the UK, and only a small number of operations are carried out each year. In Latvia, many more sleeve gastrectomies are performed annually, and therefore the local surgeons such as the ones working at Weight Loss Riga are considerably more experienced.
If you need further convincing, keep reading! Here are seven reasons patients have given as to why Latvia is the best country in Europe for gastric sleeve surgery.
1.The Cost
Perhaps the top reason why patients choose to come to Latvia for their gastric sleeve surgery is the fact that treatment here is much cheaper than private treatment in the UK. Patients who are unable to afford to go to a private clinic in the UK can travel to Latvia, stay in quality accommodation and have their surgery carried out by a highly trained surgeon in a top rate medical facility at a fraction of the cost. Latvia is one of the most affordable places in Europe to have gastric sleeve surgery, and this has made it a very popular choice.
2.Comfortable Hospitals And Excellent Facilities
Although NHS hospitals are usually clean and safe, they cannot be considered to be luxurious. When you come to Latvia for your surgery, you can enjoy being treated in a state of the art facility with five star treatment. In an NHS hospital, you will probably have to stay on a public ward with several other patients. In Latvia, you will have your own comfortable room with modern facilities and technology like televisions and Wi-Fi. While staying in any hospital may not be the most pleasant experience, it is certainly a lot nicer when you can have privacy, respectful treatment and friendly staff to care for you.
3.Highly Trained And Experienced Surgeons
Some people worry that if they decide to go abroad to have bariatric surgery they will be treated by a poorly trained surgeon who lacks the skills and experience of the surgeons at home in the UK. This is certainly not the case. In fact, the surgeons in Latvia are equally skilled and as highly trained as any UK surgeon. Everyone involved in your treatment will be fully qualified to the highest standards and will be highly experienced in their own specialism.
Latvian hospitals have world class personnel who operate within EU medical regulations. This means that your gastric sleeve surgery will be carried out to the same high standards as they would be at home. You can be confident that the surgeons here, just like in the UK, have passed extremely rigorous examinations and have proven their abilities in their field of expertise. In fact, you will probably find that that the weight loss surgeons carrying out your gastric sleeve operation in Latvia will actually be more experienced than similar surgeons in the UK. This is because the gastric sleeve procedure is still relatively new in the UK and only a few surgeries of this type are performed every year in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, in Latvia, there are many more operations of this nature carried out annually, and this means that surgeons have considerably more experience in the operating room. They will therefore be better placed to explain the procedure to patients more thoroughly and to answer questions based on their own experience. They will also be better able to handle any potential complications that may arise during the procedure.
4. Speedy, Professional Treatment
Even if you are eligible for gastric sleeve surgery on the NHS in the UK you will be required to wait for an extended period before being put on a waiting list and then finally receiving your treatment. There is a minimum “stabilisation” period required for all NHS eligible patients, and this means that everyone must wait for at least six months before being able to access the surgery they need. Meanwhile, in Latvia, there will be no such long wait. You will be able to see a surgeon quickly and have your operation promptly so that you can start reaping the benefits of weight loss much more rapidly.
Since many of the best clinics in Latvia offer Skype consultations, you can even discuss your procedure with your surgeon before you travel so that you can save even more time, speeding up your procedure even more.
5. Safe Clinics
In the same way that some patients worry that if they go abroad for bariatric surgery they will be treated by a substandard surgeon, many also worry that if they head to Latvia for their procedure they will end up in a hospital which is unclean or unsafe. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The private clinics offering gastric sleeve surgery in Latvia are extremely safe and clean, with cutting edge technology and outstanding facilities that can rival any first class hospital in the UK or even in the world.
Of course, there are always risks of complications arising when you have any form of surgery, however you can rest assured that in Latvian hospitals and clinics like Weight Loss Riga, you will be in very safe hands, in an environment which is well-equipped and prepared to treat you whatever the circumstances. As long as you do your research properly, you will find a suitable clinic in Latvia which will offer you outstanding treatment in an extremely safe environment.
6. Efficient Follow-Ups
Of course, your gastric sleeve surgery doesn’t stop after the operation is finished. Follow-up appointments are also necessary to ensure that you are healing well, coping with your new eating regime and are losing weight at an appropriate rate.
One of the reasons that some patients are worried about heading overseas for their weight loss surgery is that they are concerned that there will be no follow-ups after their surgery and a complication could arise. The cutting edge facilities and skilled surgeons ensure that an effective follow-up procedure - via email and phone for up to five years after their procedures - is followed for every patient to ensure that they are progressing as expected and not suffering from any unspotted issues or ongoing concerns. Patients will be supplied with appropriate documentation as well as health check-ups following their gastric sleeve surgery in Latvia before being cleared to return home to the UK.
Once you have returned home after your procedure, you will then be able to arrange ongoing check-ups with medical professionals in the UK to ensure that your operation is a long term success and that you maintain your weight loss for many more years to come. If you have your surgery with Weight Loss Riga, you will also have access to our private Facebook community where current and former patients can communicate with one another.
7. There’s An Opportunity For Sightseeing
Latvia is a fascinating country with an interesting heritage. If you decide to have your weight loss surgery here, your visit needn’t be entirely about the procedure. Since your treatment will only take a short period of time, you can arrange to get out and about and explore the local sights and attractions while you are in the country. Riga, the Latvian capital, is home to countless sightseeing opportunities including Riga Zoo, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old Town and the Noass cultural centre. If you choose to travel to Latvia for your treatment, you will have the opportunity to relax and enjoy a short holiday before returning home after your procedure feeling rested and positive – something which won’t happen if you have your treatment in a UK NHS hospital!
Is Latvia is the Best Country In Europe For Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
As you can see, there are lots of reasons why patients think that Latvia is the best country in Europe for gastric sleeve surgery. If you aren’t eligible for weight loss surgery on the NHS or if you want speedy treatment in a high quality hospital, carried out by an extremely skilled and experienced surgeon, heading to Latvia for your treatment is an excellent choice for you. With fully qualified personnel, safe hospitals and, best of all, considerably lower costs, it’s easy to see why Latvia is such a popular choice among UK patients looking for a better alternative to private surgery in the UK. As long as you carry out your research thoroughly and choose a reputable clinic and surgeon, you can be confident that you will receive outstanding treatment in a Latvian clinic at a fraction of the cost of similar treatment in the UK. It’s no wonder that Latvia has earned such as strong reputation as Europe’s top country when it comes to having gastric sleeve surgery.
Weight Loss Riga promises to be there every step of the way on the path to getting your life back through weight loss surgery! Visit our homepage today in order to learn more about our facilities and to schedule a consultation with our patient coordinator, Mim Dickens.
