Best Clinics and Costs for Surgery in Romania 2025

Current Position: Consultant General & GI Surgeon, Bariatric & Metabolic Surgeon   Head of the General Surgery Department   Director of the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, Ponderas Academic Hospital, Bucharest, Romania   Executive Director of the Bucharest Surgical Training Institute   Associated Professor of the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania, and "Carol Davilla" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania Main professional responsibilities and activities: GI & Metabolic Surgery: over 1000 procedures per year - mostly laparoscopic and robotic-assisted. Pioneering and developing metabolic surgery, laparoscopic colorectal surgery, laparoscopic hernia, GERD, SILS and NOTES in Romania, it was offered the opportunity to gain extensive experience for laparoscopic colorectal surgery, bariatric & metabolic surgery, laparoscopic hernia & incisional repair, laparoscopic treatment of GERD, endoscopic revision surgery.   Training activities in MIS: 25 years of experience, Executive Director of the Surgical Training Institute (RAES, EAES and ASM Endorsed educational activities), Course director of 12-15 MIS hands-on courses per year since 2011, Director of Clinical immersions and Workshops for international surgical teams since 2010.

Certifications: Doctor in Medicine –Thesis Title: Method of prevention of gastric migration after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy - 2022 Certification for Oncological Surgery - Ministry of Health of Romania – 2021 Surgeon of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Surgery - Accreditation by Surgical Review Corporation – United States of America - 2021 Master Surgeon in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery - Accreditation by Surgical Review Corporation – United States of America -2020 Fellow of the European Board of Surgery – Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery – U.E.M.S. and E.A.E.S. Award after examination -2019 Surgeon of Excellence in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery – Accreditation by Surgical Review Corporation – United States of America - 2019 FUSETM Certification, Society of American and Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons – 2019 Certification for Laparoscopic Surgery – Advanced Techniques 2nd Level – Ministry of Health of Romania - 2017 Interests: Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery for Obesity, Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, Hiatal Hernia, Abdominal Wall Hernias (inguinal, umbilical, epigastric, femoral, incisional), Colorectal Disease, Gynecological Disease. Courses: “Minimally invasive techniques for Colorectal Pathology”, LAPCO Romania Masterclass, 23-24th 2023, Bucharest, Romania “Fluorescence - Let’s see the invisible and improve outcomes in surgery”, 24th November 2021, Barcelona, Spain “1st CEMA Bariatric Summit”, January 17-18th 2020, Istanbul, Turkey “SAGES Fundamental Use of Energy Program (FUSE)”, U.S.A., Course and Examination, Kryterion Testing System, 29th October 2019, Bucharest, Romania “New trends in minimally invasive abdominal wall surgery EAES”, 12-15th June 2019, Sevilla, Spain “1st European Robotic Hernia Repair Workshop”, Prof. Konstantinos Konstantinidis, 6th- 7th May, 2019, Athens, Greece “Revisional Surgery for Weight Regain”, 23rd World Congress of IFSO, September 26th, 2018, Dubai, United Arab Emirates “Laparoscopic colon surgery”, 2018, Kepler University, Linz, Austria “Complex Abdominal Wall Reconstruction”, December 6th-7th, 2017, Exeter, United Kingdom “Surgeon Technology Summit-Suturing and Sealing Devices”, November 29th-30th, 2017, North Haven, Connecticut, United States of America “Robotic-assisted surgery for pelvic pathology”, June 30th- July 1st, 2017, Bucharest, Romania “Advanced Laparoscopic Colon and Rectal Surgery”, April, 1st-4th, 2015, Bucharest, Romania “Advanced Workshop on Gastric Cancer", November 20th-21th, 2014, Bucharest, Romania “Laparoscopic techniques in the repair of abdominal wall defects” (hands-on course), March 18th-20th,2013, Bucharest, Romania “Minimally Invasive Techniques in Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery” (hands-on course), December 14th,2012, Bucharest, Romania “EAES Laparoscopic Lower Gastrointestinal Surgery Course” (hands-on course), November 12th -15th, 2012, Cuschieri Skills Centre – University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom “EAES Laparoscopic Upper GastrointestinaI Surgery Course” (hands-on course), March 8th -11th, 2011, Cuschieri Skills Centre – University of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom “Laparoscopic techniques in Gynecological surgery – basic and advanced techniques Course” (training on simulator and swine models), November 17th -19th, 2010, Bucharest, Romania “Getting Started in Laparoscopic Surgery – Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Other Fundamental Techniques Course” (training on simulator and swine models), March 4th -6th, 2009, Bucharest, Romania “Modern technologies in Thoracic surgery”-Thoracoscopy, VATS and mechanical sutures devices workshop, November 2008, Bucharest, Romania Publications: “Reconstruction of the phreno–esophageal ligament (R-PEL) prevents the intrathoracic migration (ITM) after concomitant sleeve gastrectomy and hiatal hernia repair”. Authors: Ionut Hutopila, M. Ciocoiu, L. Paunescu, Catalin Copaescu in “Surgical Endoscopy”, January 2023 “Hiatal Hernia is more frequent than expected in bariatric patients. Intraoperative findings during Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy “. Authors: Ionut Hutopila, Catalin Copaescu in “Chirurgia”, No.6, 2019, Bucharest, Romania “Re-sleeve gastrectomy – An efficient revisional bariatric procedure – 3 years results”. Authors: Simona Filip, Ionut Hutopila, Catalin Copaescu in “Chirurgia”, No.6, 2019, Bucharest, Romania “Gastroesophageal Reflux Before Metabolic Surgery”. Authors: Ionut Hutopila, A. Constantin, Catalin Copaescu in “Chirurgia”, No.1, 2018, Bucharest, Romania “Laparoscopic Spleen Preserving Distal Pancreatectomy with Splenic Vessels Preservation” – technique with DVD movie. Authors. V. Tomulescu, I.Hutopila, C.Copaescu Chirurgia 2018, Bucharest, Romania “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Obesity”. Authors: C.Copaescu, I.Hutopila, chapter in Textbook of Pathology and Esophageal Surgery, coordinator Prof. Dr. Silviu Constantinoiu, Bucharest, 2017 Presentations: “Stomach position after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy”. Authors: I.Hutopila, M. Ciocoiu, L.Paunescu, C.Copaescu. The ARCE 2022 - The XIth National Congress of the Romanian Association for Endoscopic Surgery, September 28th– October 1st ,2022, Timișoara, Romania “Bariatric Surgery in Obese Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease”. Authors: I.Hutopila, S.Grigoruta. The VIIth Congress of Royal Club of Physicians, October 11-16th 2021 – online, Bucharest, Romania “Bariatric Surgery complications in COVID -19 Pandemic – a nightmare for general surgeons” Authors: I.Hutopila, C.Copaescu. The XXX th edition of National Surgery Congress – online, November 5th-7th, 2020, Romania “Early Migration of the GEJ After LSG?”. Authors: I.Hutopila, Ciocoiu, Paunescu, C.Copaescu. The 11th National Symposium of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, November 23, 2019, Bucharest, Romania “Robotic TAR Advantages to the Laparoscopic Approach?”. Authors: I.Hutopila, C.Copaescu. The 10th National Congress of the Romanian Association for Endoscopic Surgery, 21-23 November 2019, Bucharest, Romania “Abdominal Wall Robotic Surgery”. Author: I.Hutopila. The IVth Congress of Royal Club of Physicians, October 11-13th, 2018, Bucharest, Romania “Two years results of Narbona – Arnau Procedure to control the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy”. Authors: I.Hutopila, C.Copaescu. The 9th National Symposium of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, November 25th,2017, Bucharest, Romania “Strategies for Abdominal Hernia Repair in Morbidly Obese Patients”. Authors: I.Hutopila, M.Buza, S.Filip, C.Copaescu. The 9th National Congress of the Romanian Association for Endoscopic Surgery, November 23-25th, 2017, Bucharest, Romania “An option for the treatment of Hiatal Hernia and Gastroesophageal Reflux after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy - Narbona-Arnau laparoscopic technique”. Authors: I.Hutopila, C.Copaescu. The 25th International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), June 14-17th, 2017, Frankfurt, Germany “Improvement /remission of the Metabolic Syndrome after Bariatric Surgery”. Authors: I.Hutopila. Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Complications Conference, November 11th, 2016, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova “Treatment of stenosis after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy”. Authors: I.Hutopila. World Congress of International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic, August 26-29th,2015, Vienna, Austria “Revisional Surgery after Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric By-Pass for Hypoglycemia”. Authors: I. Hutopila,B. Smeu, S. Filip, M. Priboi, I. Balescu, S. Velici, I. Banescu, C. Copaescu. The 23rd EAES International Congress, Bucharest, Romania, 2015 “A particular solution for Total dehiscence of the esophagus-jejunal anastomosis after Laparoscopic Revisional Surgery”. Authors: I. Hutopila,B. Smeu, S. Filip, M. Priboi, I. Balescu, B. Banescu,S.C. Velici,C. Copaescu. The 23rd EAES International Congress, 2015, Bucharest, Romania, “Active Search for Hiatal Hernia in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy- a Surgical Protocol”. Authors: I. Hutopila, B. Smeu, M. Priboi, I. Balescu, S. Velici, C. Copaescu, The 7th National Symposium of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, Bucharest, Romania, 2015 “Laparoscopic Rectal Resection for Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis”. The IVth National Congress of Coloproctology, October 2nd-4th,2014, Bucharest, Romania “Laparoscopic proximal gastric resection for gastro-gastric fistula after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass”. Authors: I.Hutopila, S.Filip, M.Priboi, B.Smeu, C.Copaescu. The XXIst International Congress of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), June 19th - 22nd,2013, Vienna, Austria “Laparoscopy after Open Vertical Banded Gastroplasty”. Authors: I.Hutopila. The IVth National Symposium of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, December 15th, 2012, Bucharest, Romania “Laparoscopic Redo Gastric Banding to Gastric Bypass”. Authors: I.Hutopila, C.Copaescu. The IVth National Symposium of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, December 15th, 2012, Bucharest, Romania “Laparoscopic Treatment of Giant Hiatal Hernia”. Authors: I. Hutopila, C.Copaescu. The XXVIth edition of National Surgery Congress, May 23rd-26th, 2012, Timisoara, Romania Co-author at over 40 Conference presentations. Membership in Organizations: Romanian College of Physicians Romanian Society of Surgery Romanian Association for Endoscopic Surgery and Other Interventional Techniques (RAES) Romanian Society for Metabolic Surgery (RSMS) International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES)

Degrees and academic background: MD Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Senior Consultant in General Surgery Consultant in Emergency Medicine PhD University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania Assistant Professor “Titu Maiorescu” University, Faculty of Medicine 2012 - 2014 Surgeon of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, SRC accreditation (Surgical Review Corporation) Surgeon of Excellence in Minimal Invasive Surgery, SRC accreditation (Surgical Review Corporation) Surgeon of Excellence in Breast Surgery, SRC accreditation (Surgical Review Corporation) Laparoscopic level I and II accreditation Oncologic Surgery accreditation General Ultrasound accreditation Diagnostic and Therapeutic Digestive Endoscopy accreditation Membership in medical societies: Romanian Society of Surgery SRC Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery ARCE Romanian Society for Metabolic Surgery RSMS European Association for Endoscopic Surgery EAES International Federation for Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) European Society of Breast Specialists (EUSOMA) European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO) Fields of interest: Laparoscopic gynecologic oncology surgery, laparoscopic colorectal surgery, laparoscopic bariatric and metabolic surgery, laparoscopic hernia surgery