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Leinster · County Kilkenny

Gastric sleeve: County Kilkenny

Weight loss surgery for people in County Kilkenny: how far you'll travel, what it costs, and keeping the follow-up close to home.

The short answer

There's no bariatric surgery service in County Kilkenny, so the operation means travelling. Most private weight loss surgery is done in Dublin, and some in Galway. From Kilkenny, Dublin is about 124 km by road, 1 h 30 without traffic. A gastric sleeve costs about €6,500 to €10,000 paying yourself.

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See where your BMI sits against the usual criteria, what it costs in Ireland and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do. A surgeon always makes the final call.

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When, and where are you?

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One Irish clinic gets your enquiry, nobody else. They contact you to arrange a consultation with a surgeon. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

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Your enquiry is on its way to one Irish clinic. Here's what happens next:

  1. Today. We pass your answers to one clinic whose bariatric surgeons are on the Medical Council's Specialist Register. No one else gets them.
  2. Usually within two working days. The clinic rings or texts you to arrange a first consultation.
  3. At the consultation. A surgeon and the team assess you, explain your options and give you a written quote. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Changed your mind? Email hello@gastricsleeve.ie and we'll delete your enquiry and tell the clinic.

Weight loss surgery and County Kilkenny

104,160people in County Kilkenny (Census 2022), +5.0% since 2016
89.4%rate their health good or very good, above the State's 88.9%
1 h 30drive from Kilkenny to Dublin, 124 km
2 h 35drive from Kilkenny to Galway city, 171 km

Kilkenny is on the Waterford to Dublin Heuston railway line. Whichever way you travel to appointments, nobody should drive themselves home after the operation: plan a lift.

Consultations, the operation and check-ups

Plan for several trips in the first year: the assessment visits, the operation and the follow-up appointments. From Kilkenny that's 1 h 30 each way to Dublin. Ask the clinic which visits can be done by video call and which blood tests your GP can do.

After the operation, the HSE expects follow-up at a specialist obesity clinic for at least two years, then possibly a yearly check-up with your GP. Vitamins and blood tests are for life. That's why a team that plans aftercare around County Kilkenny matters as much as the operation.

The HSE route from County Kilkenny

The public route starts with a GP in Kilkenny, who can refer you to an HSE specialist obesity service. There's no hospital charge as a public patient, but the service is small: the HSE did 208 bariatric operations in 2024 for the whole country. The HSE route and waiting times.

Health in County Kilkenny

In Census 2022, 89.4% of people in County Kilkenny described their health as good or very good, above the State's 88.9%, and 1,694 people (1.7%) said it was bad or very bad. Weight is one part of that picture: the HSE's model of care says 23% of adults in Ireland have obesity.

What it costs from Kilkenny

The price of the operation doesn't change with your county: about €6,500 to €10,000 for a gastric sleeve and €7,500 to €12,600 for a gastric bypass, paying yourself. Add your travel, and time off work for the person who drives you. Tax relief at 20% applies to the medical costs you pay, though not to travel within Ireland. Our price guide.

Neighbouring counties

Laois1 h 10 to DublinCarlow1 h 10 to DublinWexford1 h 50 to DublinWaterford2 h to DublinTipperary2 h 15 to Dublin

Questions people ask

Is there weight loss surgery in County Kilkenny?

Not in the county itself. Most private weight loss surgery is in Dublin, about 1 h 30 from Kilkenny, and some in Galway.

How often will I need to travel from Kilkenny?

Several times in the first year: assessment visits, the operation and follow-up. The HSE expects follow-up at a specialist clinic for at least two years. Ask which visits can be done by video call.

Can my GP in Kilkenny do the follow-up?

Your GP can usually do routine blood tests and, after the first couple of years, the yearly check-up the HSE describes. The specialist clinic handles the early follow-up.

How much is a gastric sleeve for someone from Kilkenny?

The same as anywhere in Ireland: about €6,500 to €10,000 paying yourself, plus your travel. Tax relief at 20% applies to what you pay for the medical care.

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Your BMI against the usual criteria, the cost in Ireland, and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do.

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