Who Dr. Katev is
Dr. Nikolay N. Katev is a general surgeon at Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria. His work is minimally invasive surgery: laparoscopic operations through small incisions and, where indicated, robotic surgery with the Da Vinci Xi system.
He graduated from the Medical University of Sofia in 2008 and obtained his specialty in general and abdominal surgery in 2014. In 2025 he passed the examination of the European Board of Surgery and holds the title Fellow of the European Board of Surgery — Minimally Invasive Surgery (FEBS/MIS). He is a certified Da Vinci Xi console surgeon (CMCiB, Barcelona, 2024) and holds five Da Vinci certificates.
Consultations are held in English and German — both at the level needed for a medical consultation.
For expats in Sofia and patients from abroad
If you live in Sofia and need a surgeon you can talk to in English, or if you are considering treatment in Bulgaria, you can book a consultation directly. Consultations take place at Tokuda Hospital, 51B Nikola Vaptsarov Blvd., Sofia 1407.
Please bring any imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and test results you already have. Documents in English or German are fine; documents in other languages should come with an English translation. If you have no previous tests, the necessary ones will be prescribed after the examination.
Before travelling: a first conversation can be held online via Healee — a second opinion on the tests you already have, and a first talk about what to expect. Whether surgery is indicated is decided at the consultation in Sofia, after examination. The online consultation is not for emergencies.
Patients under 18 are not seen or operated on. Parents are referred to a specialist in paediatric surgery.
What Dr. Katev treats
- Gallstone disease — laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gallbladder through small incisions). Full information in Bulgarian: /zhlachka/.
- Hernias — all hernias of the abdominal wall (inguinal, femoral, umbilical, incisional) and of the diaphragm (hiatal hernia). Laparoscopic mesh repair; for hiatal hernia, laparoscopic crurorrhaphy (narrowing the widened opening of the diaphragm with sutures) in every case, followed — depending on the symptoms and the patient — by fundoplication or another procedure (fundoplication means wrapping the upper part of the stomach around the lower end of the oesophagus to stop reflux). Full information in Bulgarian: /hernii/.
- Coloproctology — colorectal cancer first and foremost; acute diverticulitis; haemorrhoids, anal fissures and fistulas.
- Thyroid surgery — hemithyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disease.
- Oncological surgery — stomach, small and large bowel, liver and pancreas; laparoscopic or robotic approach where indicated. The operation is performed by the surgeon; pre- and post-operative treatment is planned together with oncologists and radiation oncologists.
- Robotic surgery — Da Vinci Xi — certified console surgeon. Most operations can be performed robotically; this is assessed for each patient, weighing benefit, risk and cost. Under the Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), robotic surgery at Tokuda is covered for oncological disease of the stomach, colon and rectum.
The choice of method — laparoscopic, robotic or open — is made by the surgeon for each patient, based on medical indications.
How to book
- Online: Superdoc — superdoc.bg/lekar/nikolay-katev. The booking goes straight into the hospital's schedule. The booking site is in Bulgarian.
- Hospital front desk: +359 2 403 4000 — English is spoken.
- Online consultation: Healee — healee.com/en/112922 (second opinion on existing tests; first conversation before travelling; not for emergencies).
- Consultation hours: Thursday 9:00–16:00, Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital, 51B Nikola Vaptsarov Blvd., Sofia.
- Dr. Katev's personal phone (+359 899 728 808) is not a reception desk — please use Superdoc or the front desk to book.
Insurance and costs
Consultations and operations are paid privately, unless you are insured with the Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). A referral from a general practitioner is needed only for NHIF-covered visits — this applies to foreign patients as well. Under NHIF, the hospital may charge separately for choice of surgical team (only if you request it) and for consumables the fund does not cover.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers urgent, medically necessary treatment during a temporary stay — for foreign patients and for Bulgarian patients insured in another EU member state. It does not cover a planned operation. For planned treatment under EU rules (S2 form) and for any other insurance question, please clarify your documents with the hospital's administrative office before the operation.
The hospital works with a number of private insurers — ask when booking. Prices are set by the hospital and are given at booking; no prices are published on this site.
⚠ When it is an emergency
Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department — do not book an online consultation or an appointment — if you have any of the following. You do not need to have all of them.
Gallbladder: severe pain in the upper abdomen under the right ribs that does not pass within 4 to 6 hours; nausea and vomiting; fever; a swollen, hard abdomen; yellowing of the skin and eyes; dark urine.
Hernia: the bulge has become hard and painful and does not go back when you lie down; the pain is severe and getting worse; nausea, vomiting, a swollen abdomen, no passing of wind; the skin over the bulge is red or dark. With a hiatal hernia, in rare cases the stomach can twist (gastric volvulus): acute abdominal pain and sudden vomiting that does not stop.
Frequently asked questions
Do you speak English?
Yes. Consultations are held in English and German.
Do I need a referral?
For a private consultation — no. A referral from a GP is needed only for NHIF-covered visits.
How long will I stay in hospital after a laparoscopic operation?
As a guide: about 2 nights after gallbladder surgery; about 2 nights after abdominal-wall hernia repair; about 4 nights after hiatal hernia surgery. These are indicative — the stay is decided for each patient.
Can my operation be done with the Da Vinci robot?
Most operations can be performed robotically; whether it is suitable for you is decided at the consultation, weighing benefit, risk and cost. At Tokuda, NHIF covers robotic surgery for oncological disease of the stomach, colon and rectum.
Can I get a second opinion online before travelling to Sofia?
Yes — via Healee, on the basis of tests you already have. It is not for emergencies.
How long should I plan to stay in Bulgaria after the operation?
Plan to stay at least until the follow-up visit (around the 7th day after surgery) and, where sutures are not absorbable, until they are removed (around the 10th day). The exact plan is given at discharge and depends on the operation.
Do you operate on children?
No. Patients under 18 are referred to a specialist in paediatric surgery.
Reviewed by Nikolay N. Katev M.D. FEBS/MIS, surgeon at Acibadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital — 25.09.2026
This page is for general information and does not replace a medical consultation.
