Hospital Group reports profit amid demand for gastric bands

AN increase in Irish people looking for gastric bands resulted in cosmetic surgery firm, The Hospital Group, reporting a profit last year.

Breast augmentation has been the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure in Ireland for many years, but is now being overtaken by tummy tucks, Botox and injectable fillers.

However, in recent years the weight loss surgery sector is taking the lead, with options including gastric bands, gastric balloons and gastric bypass, the company said.

The Hospital Group, which launched in Ireland in 2008, said that for the year ending May 2010 it had a turnover in Ireland of €3.1 million, compared to €1.9m in 2009. It also delivered a pre-tax profit of €304,390 compared to a loss in 2009 of €914,017.

The company has clinics in Cork, Dublin and Galway. The directors said that the movement into profit is partly as a result of now offering obesity surgery, which continues to be a growth industry.

The Belfast clinic reported a turnover of £792,913 (€909,350) in 2010, down from £907,987 in 2009, which resulted in an operating profit of £33,219.

Across the group’s clinics total employee numbers fell to 21 from 28 in 2009.

The Hospital Group Ireland offers surgical and non-surgical procedures and said it is now the largest company of its type in Ireland.