Gastric plication is a relatively new weight loss surgery that offers many benefits than other bariatric surgery types. However, it is still considered an experimental procedure and usually only performed in private clinics with no NHS coverage.
Precisely for this reason, many patients choose to undergo a gastric plication abroad. Where prices are affordable and private clinics have the most sophisticated medical equipment on the market, which increases the surgery’s safety and success.
What is gastric plication?
A gastric plication is a restrictive technique that involves creating folds towards the stomach’s interior to occupy most of it. In this way, the patient needs to eat smaller portions of food to feel full.
In plication, no part of the stomach or intestines is removed or modified as gastric sleeve or gastric bypass; which means it is a reversible surgery.
Is the gastric plication effective?
Yes, despite the limited information about this surgery, it has been shown that gastric plication obtains results as effective as other weight-loss surgeries. Patients lose about 60% of overweight over a year after surgery.
The most important thing is that the results are maintained in the long term; this means that patients will not recover the lost weight over time as long as they commit to a new healthy lifestyle.
Price of gastric plication
The price of gastric plication varies according to the city you are in, but on average, this procedure in the UK costs between 4,000 – 15,000 GBP. It is not as expensive as other types of weight loss surgery. Still, it remains a significant sum of money, especially if we consider that NHS does not cover this bariatric surgery.
Why should you undergo a gastric plication abroad?
The main reason many people seek weight loss surgeries abroad is the price of the treatments. Countries like Poland, Turkey and the Czech Republic are some of the preferred destinations for those who live in the UK or Ireland.
The price of a gastric plication abroad is between two and three times cheaper than in the UK, Ireland and even the USA.
Another reason to do medical tourism is the possibility of receiving treatments of the highest quality. In Poland’s case, the country has a respectable reputation in the international medical field due to private health sector’s high-quality standards, regulations established by the government, and the high academic competence of doctors and clinical staff.
