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Leinster · County Louth

Gastric sleeve: County Louth

Weight loss surgery for people in County Louth: 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 Louth, so the operation means travelling. Most private weight loss surgery is done in Dublin, and some in Galway. From Drogheda, Dublin is about 51 km by road, 43 min without traffic. A gastric sleeve costs about €6,500 to €10,000 paying yourself.

Free check · about a minute

Am I eligible?

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.

Your height and weight never leave your device. If you ask a clinic to contact you, we send only a BMI band and your answers, with your consent.

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Your height and weight

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Do you have any of these?

Tick all that apply. These are the conditions surgeons look for at a BMI of 35 to 40.

What have you tried before?

Tick all that apply. A clinic asks this at the first consultation.

Which option are you looking at?

Pick the closest. You can change your mind at the consultation.

How would you like to go about it?

Your result explains the cost and the wait for each route.

When, and where are you?

The clinic uses your county to plan consultations and check-ups near 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.

Thank you

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 Louth

139,703people in County Louth (Census 2022), +8.4% since 2016
87.7%rate their health good or very good, below the State's 88.9%
43 mindrive from Drogheda to Dublin, 51 km
2 h 50drive from Drogheda to Galway city, 218 km

Drogheda and Dundalk are on the Belfast to Dublin line, with frequent trains to Connolly. 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 Drogheda that's 43 min 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 Louth matters as much as the operation.

The HSE route from County Louth

The public route starts with a GP in Louth, 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 Louth

In Census 2022, 87.7% of people in County Louth described their health as good or very good, below the State's 88.9%, and 2,734 people (2.1%) 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 Louth

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

Meath46 min to DublinMonaghan1 h 40 to Dublin

Questions people ask

Is there weight loss surgery in County Louth?

Not in the county itself. Most private weight loss surgery is in Dublin, about 43 min from Drogheda, and some in Galway.

How often will I need to travel from Louth?

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 Louth 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 Louth?

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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