A Cost Comparison and Long-Term Perspective
When considering your options for tackling excess weight, it’s important to weigh not only how effective a treatment is but also its cost over the long term. Here we compare two of the key options offered at Harley Street Obesity Clinic: weight-loss injections, and the gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy) performed by our team.
The Cost Snapshot
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Weight-Loss Injections: The clinic’s pricing starts at £195 (for the 4-dose pack) for the lowest dose of medication. If someone continues treatment long-term, this can accumulate to approximately £11,700 over 5 years (assuming £195 × 12 months × 5 years = £11,700).
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Gastric Sleeve Surgery: Our all-inclusive package for the sleeve starts from £9,999.
What the Numbers Mean
At first glance, it may seem that the injections are low-cost: £195 may feel very affordable in the short term. But when you project it out to 12 months and then 5 years, the cumulative cost becomes much more significant. Meanwhile, the one-time cost of surgery is higher upfront, but overall lower than the 5-year injections cost in many cases.
Long-Term Benefits and Value
Gastric sleeve surgery offers a number of advantages over long-term injections:
The sleeve is a one-off procedure, meaning once you have healed and your after-care is established, you are not paying month after month for the same specialist treatment.
- The procedure leads to a durable change in your physiology: the stomach volume is reduced, you feel full sooner, and this supports longer-term weight-loss maintenance.
- Because of the longer-term benefit and the reduced need for ongoing medication or repeated intervention, the cost becomes more favourable over time.
In contrast, injections have their place:
- They may be less invasive, easier to start, and in some cases more flexible.
- But the requirement to continue injections (or repeat courses) means that costs continue to accrue.
- Also, the maintenance burden and potential for stops/returns can affect long-term value.
Putting It Together: Why Surgery May Be the Better Value
Given the numbers: £11,700 for injections over five years versus £9,999 (or from £9,999) for sleeve surgery, you can see that the surgical route becomes the more cost-effective option — particularly if you’re committing to a multi-year weight-loss journey. Moreover, the additional benefits of surgery (one-time intervention, durable effect, less dependency on ongoing medication) tip the balance further in its favour.
Important Considerations
- Suitability: Not every patient will be suitable for surgery; BMI thresholds, medical risk, lifestyle, and readiness must all be considered and assessed by our consultant team.
- Ongoing care: Both pathways require appropriate support. For injections, you’ll need monitoring, dose adjustment, and check-ups. For surgery, you’ll need dietitian support, lifestyle changes, and follow-up. At the Harley Street Obesity Clinic we emphasise excellent after-care and support.
- Individual results vary: Costs are one thing; outcomes are another. How much weight you lose, how well you maintain it, and how your health improves all contribute to value — and these depend on commitment, support and individual factors.
- Life beyond 5 years: The 5-year cost for injections is illustrative. If someone continued injections beyond that, the cost would further escalate. By contrast, the surgery cost is locked in (though follow-up care costs remain, of course).
If you are looking at your options and are committed to a genuine transformation rather than simply a short-term reduction, then surgery offers a compelling value proposition. It is cheaper over time, offers longer-term benefits, and aligns with the support and infrastructure we provide at Harley Street Obesity Clinic. It is not just a treatment — it’s a long-term investment in your health.
Book a free consultation with our lead surgeon, Mr Sanjay Agrawal, and our multidisciplinary team. We will assess your suitability, explain costs, review lifestyle changes, and guide you towards the best pathway for your goals.
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