Key points
- A surgical assessment can be useful if your weight is affecting your health or your daily life and non-surgical treatments have not been enough.
- In Switzerland, the criteria start from a BMI of 35, but a number alone is never enough to decide: it is your situation as a whole that counts.
- The decision is made with you, after an assessment by several specialists and a preparation period of at least three months.
When should you ask for an assessment?
You can ask for a surgical assessment consultation if, for example:
- your BMI is 35 or more, or close to it;
- non-surgical treatments suited to your situation (diet, physical activity, psychological support, medication) have not given a sufficient or lasting result;
- you live with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea or joint pain related to your weight.
Surgery is not a first-line treatment1, nor is it a last resort: it is a recognised option, to be discussed at the right time.
The criteria used in Switzerland
Medical recommendation
According to the guidelines of the SMOB (the Swiss society for obesity surgery), surgery can be considered in adults when the BMI is 35 or more, when appropriate treatment followed for a total of two years (separate periods add up) has not been enough, and when the person understands what the operation involves and commits to lifelong follow-up1.
At the Centre, follow-up counts towards these two years: coming to the Centre does not reset the clock.
Basic (compulsory) health insurance applies these same criteria2: see Insurance cover in Switzerland.
With a BMI between 30 and 35 and type 2 diabetes that remains poorly controlled despite well-managed treatment, so-called “metabolic” surgery can be discussed in a specialist referral centre; whether basic health insurance covers it is under evaluation until 31 December 20262, 1. Under the age of 18 and over 65, the assessment is also the responsibility of a specialist referral centre1.
When BMI is over 50: see What care is available when BMI is over 50?
Why a number is not enough
The assessment consultation looks at your health, what you have already tried and what you expect, to find out whether surgery is appropriate for you, now or later, what other options exist, including medication, and which operation might suit you.
Some situations mean waiting or getting a specialist opinion first: for example a recent thrombosis or embolism, a recent heart attack, uncontrolled cancer, dependence on alcohol or other substances, a current pregnancy or an unstable mental illness1. In many cases, the question can be raised again later.
How is the decision made?
Your request
The appointments team arranges the appointment.
The assessment consultation
Your situation, your expectations and the possible options.
The work-up
Several disciplines, over at least three months.
The decision
Made with you, at your own pace.
The guidelines provide for an assessment by several disciplines and a preparation period of at least three months before the operation1. You receive written information and give your consent in writing. You can take time to think it over, ask for another opinion or decide not to go ahead.
At the Centre
The team’s operations take place at Hôpital de Nyon (GHOL), which appears on the SMOB list of recognised centres as a primary centre3. The Centre brings together surgery, endocrinology, nutrition, psychological support and physical activity.
When an operation requires a specialist referral centre, we organise your care in Geneva (HUG), Lausanne or Neuchâtel, depending on your situation. Wherever possible, and with the agreement of the host centre, Dr Pierre Fournier performs your operation there himself.
Frequently asked questions
My BMI is slightly below 35: is it pointless to come for a consultation?
No. The consultation reviews your situation as a whole, including other possible treatments and whether it makes sense to discuss surgery again later.
What next?
If this page sounds like your situation, you can book a surgical assessment consultation. Its purpose is to review your situation and the possible options; any operation is then decided collectively by the multidisciplinary team, with you.
Your request is received by the Centre’s appointments team, who will organise the next steps with you. You do not need to check for yourself whether you meet the criteria.
Medical review of the French version: Dr Pierre Fournier
Scientific sources and references
Sources accessed on 12 October 2026. Reimbursement rules and information on medicines change over time.
- Swiss Society for the Study of Morbid Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (SMOB). Directives pour le traitement chirurgical de l’obésité, in force from 1 July 2023 (in French). View source
- Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Annexe 1 de l’ordonnance sur les prestations de l’assurance des soins (OPAS), edition of 1 July 2026: chapters 1.1 and 2.1. View source
- SMOB. Liste des centres reconnus, as of 1 May 2026. View source
- Author
- Prepared for the Centre from the sources cited
- References
- See “Scientific sources and references” on this page