FAQ About Weight Loss Surgery Abroad*

*Please note that each case is individual and the results may vary.

PAYMENT
How can I make the payment?

STAY IN LITHUANIA
How long after the surgery will I stay in the clinic?
How soon after the surgery can I go home?
Should I bring any food or dietary supplements with me?
Can I travel alone?
What should I bring with me?
Can my accompanying person stay in the clinic with me?
Will I experience any communication problems?

BEFORE THE SURGERY
What is the suitable BMI for weight loss surgery?
What if my BMI is too low to be considered for weight loss surgery?
What should I do if my BMI is too high?
What is the best diet to follow before the surgery?
What if I do not lose weight before the surgery?
Why should I undergo gastroscopy before gastric sleeve surgery?
Should I consult my doctor before?
Are there any waiting lines?
How can I be sure that the quality is not lower than in Western Europe countries?
Why Lithuania, as a pretty new player in the World market of medical tourism, is reliable, comfortable and worth to be chosen as a medical tourism destination?
Why is the price of medical services much lower in Lithuania?
How much is it possible to save while choosing medical services in Lithuania?

AFTER THE SURGERY
Can I get a sick note from the surgeon? If not, how can I get it?
How soon after the surgery can I get back to work?
How soon after the surgery can I start exercising again?
Do you offer follow-up? How long after the surgery is it available?
Where can I find information about the post-surgery diet?
Do I need to come back to Lithuania after the surgery?
When can I start planning plastic surgery after weight loss surgery?
How to prevent nausea when you are eating or after meal?
Can I swallow my vitamin pill with water or do I need to mash it before?
How much weight can one expect to lose in a week after WLS?
Is it dangerous to drink alcohol after gastric bypass?
What blood tests should be taken periodically?
How many calories can I consume per day?
Can I be healthy eating small portions and low calorie food?
Is it dangerous to eat food containing some fat if I am not feeling any bad symptoms after eating it?

How can I make the payment?
In order to reserve the surgery date we ask our patients to transfer us a small deposit. The rest of the amount should be paid in our clinic after your consultation with the surgeon. We accept Visa, MaterCard and Maestro credit and debit cards and cash in Euros.
Some banks have specific policy about payments in the foreign countries. If you are planning to pay by card, please contact your bank and let them know you will be making a payment in Lithuania, and, if needed, increase your payment card limit.

How long after the surgery will I stay in the clinic?
Our patients spend 2 to 3 nights in the clinic after the surgery. We discharge our patients from the clinic only after making sure that the post-operative tests are within the normal range.

How soon after the surgery can I go home?
We recommend our patients to spend at least 5 nights in Lithuania after the surgery. Usually the patients stay in Lithuania for 1 week in total.
You should arrive to Lithuania 1 day before the surgery to have your consultation with the surgeon and anaesthesiologist. 2-3 nights after the surgery are spent in the clinic. The rest of the time should be spent in the hotel.

Should I bring any food or dietary supplements with me?
You do not need to bring any specific food or supplements with you. While in the clinic, you will be given food according to post-surgery dietary recommendations. After you leave the clinic the food may be bought in any supermarket.

Can I travel alone?
Approximately 50% of our patients choose coming alone, as we provide them with personal assistance throughout their stay. Moreover, all patients are provided contact information of our personnel so that they always have several points of contact to address urgent matters or any questions. 

What should I bring with me?
Patients, who take medication, that was approved by our anaesthesiologist, should bring the medication with them, so it can be taken as prescribed. Moreover, you may want to bring a computer, a book, or a magazine, to keep you entertained while in the clinic or the hotel.

Can my accompanying person stay in the clinic with me?
Accompanying persons are asked to stay at the hotel, as patients are provided with 24 hour nursing.

Will I experience any communication problems?
All staff in our clinic speaks English. Moreover, Dr Maleckas speaks fluent Swedish as well as English.

What is the suitable BMI for weight loss surgery?
A patient is suitable for bariatric surgery when:
for female patients when BMI is higher than 35 + a co-morbidity;
for male patients when BMI is higher than 34;
BMI is higher than 30 and a patient has diabetes mellitus.
If your BMI is lower than indicated, but you recently lost weight, let us know. Your previous weight will be considered when approving you for weight loss surgery.

What if my BMI is too low to be considered for weight loss surgery?
If your BMI is too low for bariatric surgery, but you have exceeded conservative weight loss methods and diets, we offer a bariatric surgery alternative – a gastric balloon. Gastric balloon is a non-surgical procedure during which a silicone sack is placed in the stomach making a patient feel full after eating a small portion of food. Our customer service representatives can provide you with more information on the procedure.

What should I do if my BMI is too high?
When it comes to weight loss surgery, BMI limits vary. The main goal of the surgery is helping  patients to reach a healthy weight. However, you should know, that if your BMI is over 50, the surgeon will ask you to lose more weight while preparing for the surgery than for those who have lower BMI.

What is the best diet to follow before the surgery?
Most of our patients choose protein shakes’ diet, as it is proven to give fast and effective result, which is needed before the surgery.

What if I do not lose weight before the surgery?
When the surgeon approves you for the surgery, he will write you a letter asking you to lose certain amount of weight and telling you why it is important. High amount of fat in the abdominal cavity and liver may make your surgery much more difficult, prolong the surgery and raise the surgery risk. In some cases, the surgery may not even be performed if the patient does not lose weight before the surgery. Therefore, responsible preparation for the surgery is one of the factors leading to surgery success.

Why should I undergo gastroscopy before gastric sleeve surgery?
During gastroscopy the doctor checks your stomach for diaphragmatic esophageal hernia which may result to reflux after the surgery. If the hernia is found, it is fixed during the gastric sleeve surgery.

Should I consult my doctor before?
We encourage consulting your personal physician before you leave for treatment, as you will need their support when you return back home to send you for control blood tests.

Are there any waiting lines?
Our clinic is flexible date-wise and can usually arrange your surgery on the date convenient for you.

How can I be sure that the quality is not lower than in Western Europe countries?

Our surgeon Dr. A. Maleckas has been working in Lithuania as well as in Sweden for over 15 years. He is one of the best bariatric surgeons in Europe. In addition, he speaks fluent English and Swedish and may perform phone consultations if you have any doubts. Moreover, you can ask for direct testimonials from our former patients.

Why Lithuania, as a pretty new player in the World market of medical tourism, is reliable, comfortable and worth to be chosen as a medical tourism destination?

– Lithuania offers many different places for health recovery, sightseeing and activities.
– Lithuania is easy to reach – 3 international airports, small country, you can drive across the whole country just in a few hours.
– Lithuanian climate and geographical location is very agreeable – it is a safe, clean and an up-to-date young Christian country located in the middle of Europe. Lithuania is a member of European Union and NATO.
– Lithuania has world class surgeons as well as clinics, and the prices for the same medical treatments are 3 or more times lower than in Western countries.

Why is the price of medical services much lower in Lithuania?
Firstly, it is because of cheaper labour force in Lithuania as hourly wage in Lithuania is usually much lower than in Scandinavian countries, Great Britain, Germany, etc.
Secondly, the professional liability insurance is much cheaper in Lithuania.

How much is it possible to save while choosing medical services in Lithuania?
According to statistical data of Lithuanian Private Health Care Association, prices in Lithuania are 3 to 10 times lower than in Western countries. Your savings depend on the amount of procedures you plan to have. Even including your plane tickets and accommodation in Lithuania you may save a substantial amount of money.

Can I get a sick note from the surgeon? If not, how can I get it?
The surgeon that will be performing your surgery may write an official recommendation about the post-surgery period to your GP. Your GP then will provide you with an official sick note.

How soon after the surgery can I get back to work?
2 to 4 weeks of recovery time is needed after gastric bypass. It is recommended to avoid any active physical exercises for 2 months after the surgery. If your job is sedentary, you may go back to work 1 week after the surgery. Please note, recovery period is very individual and may vary depending on each case.

How soon after the surgery can I start exercising again?
It is recommended to avoid any active physical exercises for 2 months after weight loss surgery. You may start performing easy (less active) physical exercises few weeks after the surgery, depending on how you feel.

Do you offer follow-up? How long after the surgery is it available?

We provide our patients with follow-up for 5 years after the surgery. It guarantees that all your questions regarding your new diet, nutrition supplements, any unusual sensations, etc. is answered by our professionals.
Our UK-based dietitian is also available for postoperative nutritional followup for five years after your surgery.
Moreover, according to the official extract from the medical records about your surgery, your GP will recommend you the health tests to undergo. We ask our patients to provide us with the test results, so the surgeon can review it and give his comments and recommendations.

Where can I find information about the post-surgery diet?
All the necessary information about the post-surgery diet will be given to you during your consultation with dietician. The dietician will give you the printed booklet as well.

Do I need to come back to Lithuania after the surgery?
You do not need to come back to Lithuania after the surgery. However, some of our patients choose to come for a personal follow-up consultation with our specialists.

When can I start planning plastic surgery after weight loss surgery?
You may start planning plastic surgery a year after weight loss surgery, when your weight has been stable for at least three months. During one year after weight loss the patient’s blood levels return to normal and any further surgeries may be planned.

How to prevent nausea when you are eating or after meal?
Nausea causes could be the following: patient eats too quickly, a mouthful of food should be chewed very well. Meals should be always longer than 10 minutes, and a small amount of food must be eaten, max 150 g or ml. It is important not to miss meals. A patient needs to choose meals properly, one needs to choose more protein rich food (meat, fish, dairy products). Patient has to drink about 1.5 liters of water per day, but has to stop drinking 20 minutes before a meal, eat, then wait 20 minutes and start drinking again. Most of the times nausea are caused by irregular eating and wrong food choices.

Can I swallow my vitamin pill with water or do I need to mash it before?
Two – three weeks after surgery it is recommended that one crushes vitamin pills or other medication and drinks them crushed. You may even crush your vitamin tablet and blend it in your food. Patients can also buy vitamin lozenges or water soluble vitamins. A pill crusher may be handy to acquire before surgery. 

How much weight can one expect to lose in a week after WLS?
Weight loss is a very individual process, many studies suggest that after WLS patient loses 60% of excess weight within the first two years.
It is important to follow the basic principles: drink 6 glasses a day, eat 3 main meals with protein and one or two snacks during the day – for example, juice or fruit.

Is it dangerous to drink alcohol after gastric bypass?

Alcoholic drinks are not recommended for at least 6 months after the surgery. Patients who try to drink wine sometimes feel pressure and gnawing in the stomach area. If you still decide that you will drink some alcohol, you have to first dilute it with water and take tiny little sips.

What blood tests should be taken periodically?
After 6 months after the surgery, we recommend that you take a complete blood count, calcium, vit. D, and iron levels in blood. It is necessary to perform such tests once a year. According to the test results your general practitioner should adjust the intake of iron and calcium with vit. D.

How many calories can I consume per day?
The amount of calories should not exceed 1200 kcal per day, but if you eat four times a day and each meal is not bigger than 150-200 ml or g, the amount of calories will be even lower.

Can I be healthy eating small portions and low calorie food?
Yes, of course. Although at some point your new diet habits might look like starving, it is a part of the treatment. After the surgery you will have a dietitian consultation during which you will be introduced to a new diet program. The dietitian will explain what foods you should eat in order to avoid vitamin deficiency, how to consume the right amount of protein and other nutrition. Be sure to follow it closely, so you will stay healthy and maintain your weight loss.

Is it dangerous to eat food containing some fat if I am not feeling any bad symptoms after eating it?
Patients must eat low fat food, but even low-fat food contains some fat. Dairy products (milk, yogurt) should be low fat, but patients can choose cheese that contains more fat. Patients can only eat lean meat and also can choose salmon though it is oily, but has many good fats that are essential for your body. However, it all depends on how a patient feels after meals. Weakness, sweating more than usual, etc. are the signs that the patient has chosen the wrong food.