Sleeve gastrectomy in Istanbul
Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Turkey
- Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery
- Dietitian support before and after
- About 5 days in Istanbul
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Gastric sleeve before and after
Results of MAYCLINIK obesity surgery patients, usually photographed 12–18 months after surgery.
Results vary from person to person. Photos are shared with patient consent.
Gastric sleeve in Turkey at a glance
About 2–3 hours
Operation time
2–3 nights
Hospital stay
About 5 days
Total stay in Istanbul
After about 2 weeks
Back to desk work
Gym after 4–6 weeks
Exercise
walking from day 1
Most of it within 12–18 months
Weight loss
- Anaesthesia: General anaesthesia
- Diet: Liquids for 2 weeks, normal food from about 6–8 weeks
What is a gastric sleeve?
A gastric sleeve, or sleeve gastrectomy, is a weight-loss operation in which about three quarters of the stomach is removed. What remains is a narrow, banana-shaped tube, the “sleeve”. Most people who ask us about gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey have tried diets for years and want a lasting way to lose weight and improve their health.
With a much smaller stomach you feel full after a few spoonfuls. The part of the stomach that is removed also makes most of the hunger hormone ghrelin, so many patients notice they are simply less hungry. Unlike a gastric bypass, the intestines are not rerouted.
The operation is done by keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery through a few small cuts, and it cannot be reversed. It works best together with lasting changes in eating and activity, which is why your dietitian is part of the plan from the start.
A gastric sleeve cannot
- Work without changes to how you eat
- Be reversed
- Prevent loose skin after big weight loss
- Replace lifelong vitamin supplements and check-ups
- Help reflux; it can make it worse (a bypass may suit better)
Gastric sleeve vs gastric bypass
The two most common weight-loss operations. Your surgeon recommends one after looking at your weight, health and reflux.
What is done
- Gastric sleeve
- About 75–80% of the stomach removed
- Gastric bypass
- Small stomach pouch connected to the small intestine
Operation time
- Gastric sleeve
- About 2–3 hours
- Gastric bypass
- About 2–4 hours
Typical excess weight loss
- Gastric sleeve
- About 60–70%
- Gastric bypass
- About 65–80%
Reflux
- Gastric sleeve
- Can get worse
- Gastric bypass
- Usually improves
Type 2 diabetes
- Gastric sleeve
- Often improves
- Gastric bypass
- Often improves, usually more strongly
Vitamins
- Gastric sleeve
- Lifelong supplements
- Gastric bypass
- Lifelong supplements, more important
Reversible
- Gastric sleeve
- No
- Gastric bypass
- Technically possible, rarely done
Weight loss figures are averages from published studies. Your own result depends on your starting weight and how you eat and move afterwards.
How much weight can you lose with a gastric sleeve?
Results vary from person to person. These are typical figures from bariatric surgery studies.
60–70%
of excess weight lost on average within 12–18 months after surgery
75–80%
of the stomach removed, including most of the hunger-hormone area
12–18 mo
until weight usually stabilises, with the fastest loss early on
“Excess weight” is the weight above a healthy BMI of 25. Your surgeon and dietitian give you a realistic target for your situation.
Who qualifies for gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey?
Bariatric surgery is for people with obesity who have not managed to lose weight permanently in other ways. Your surgeon decides together with you after a full assessment.
A gastric sleeve may suit you if
- Your BMI is 40 or more, even without related conditions
- Your BMI is 35 or more with a condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea
- You have tried diets and exercise without lasting success
- You are ready to change how you eat and move, for life
- You can take vitamin supplements for life and keep up regular follow-up after surgery
Talk to us first, or another option may be better, if
- You have bad reflux or heartburn: a gastric bypass may suit better
- You have an untreated eating disorder, alcohol or drug problem
- You are pregnant or plan a pregnancy within 12–18 months
- You have a serious heart or lung condition that raises the risk of anaesthesia
- Your BMI is between 30 and 35: other treatments may come first
Your hospital and hotel in Istanbul
Your operation takes place in a JCI-accredited partner hospital; the rest of your stay is spent recovering in a 5-star hotel, both included in your package.
JCI-accredited partner hospital
Modern operating theatres, private rooms and intensive-care backup, with specialist nursing care after your operation.
5-star hotel & VIP transfers
Comfortable recovery close to the hospital. Private transfers take you to every appointment and your coordinator checks in with you every day.
Your bariatric team in Istanbul
Your operation is performed at an accredited partner hospital by an experienced general surgeon who specialises in bariatric surgery. You receive your surgeon’s name and profile before you book.
Bariatric surgeon
Assesses you, performs the operation and checks you before you fly home.
Anaesthetist
Plans your anaesthesia and pain relief after reviewing your tests.
Dietitian
Prepares you before surgery and guides your diet step by step afterwards.
Patient coordinator
Organises your stay, translates and stays in touch after you go home.
The MAYCLINIK Standard
Four commitments that cover your care from the first video call to long after you fly home.
MAYContour
Before surgery
Surgeons are not interchangeable. Each of ours performs certain operations far more often than others, so you are matched to the one whose routine work is your operation. You meet on video before you travel, and the plan is agreed there, not on arrival.
MAYContourMAYCare+
In Istanbul
From the moment you land to the moment you fly home, one team is responsible for you: airport transfers, your hotel stay, hospital admission, a doctor and nurse who visit you at the hotel, and a check on how you are every day, in your own language.
MAYCare+MAYCheck
Back home
The hardest part of recovery happens after you get home. For twelve months your aftercare nurse stays with you, reviewing how you are healing, telling you what is normal and what is not, and answering questions through our London and Stuttgart offices.
MAYCheckMAYCover
If anything changes
Healing is not always a straight line, and a final result can take up to a year to settle. MAYCover is how we handle it, with your surgeon, if something does need revisiting. Ask your coordinator what it covers, before you book, rather than after.
MAYCover
Gastric sleeve cost in Turkey: what’s included
You receive a fixed, written quote after the team has reviewed your weight, height and medical history, before you book anything.
Your MAYCLINIK package includes
- Pre-operative tests and consultations
- The operation under general anaesthesia
- Your hospital stay of 2–3 nights after the operation
- Medication and blood-clot prevention
- Dietitian consultation and diet plan
- Hotel accommodation for your stay
- VIP airport, hotel and hospital transfers
- Online dietitian follow-up during your first year
Your 5 days in Istanbul
A typical plan for a gastric sleeve. Your coordinator adjusts it to your flights.
Day 1
Arrival & tests
VIP transfer to the hospital or hotel. Then blood tests, ECG, ultrasound, gastroscopy and talks with your surgeon, anaesthetist and dietitian.
Day 2
Surgery
Your gastric sleeve under general anaesthesia, which takes about 2–3 hours. You start walking the same day or the next morning.
Days 3–4
Hospital care
Pain relief, blood-clot prevention and your first sips of water. Your dietitian explains the liquid diet for the first 2 weeks. After 2–3 nights you leave hospital and rest at your hotel, walking several times a day.
Day 5
Check-up & fly home
A check-up with your surgeon, then a VIP transfer to the airport with your diet plan, vitamins and your coordinator’s contact details.
Diet and recovery after a gastric sleeve
Your stomach needs time to heal. The diet is built up step by step, and your dietitian guides you through each stage.
Weeks 1–2
Clear liquids
Small sips of water, broth, sugar-free drinks and protein shakes, about 1.5–2 litres a day.
Weeks 3–4
Puréed food
Smooth, puréed food in very small portions, with protein first.
Weeks 5–6
Soft food
Soft, moist food you can mash with a fork, eaten slowly and chewed well.
From weeks 6–8
Normal food
Normal, healthy food in small portions. Eating and drinking are kept separate.
Months 12–18
Stable weight
Weight loss slows down and settles. Some patients then consider body contouring.
What helps
- Eat slowly and stop at the first feeling of fullness
- Protein first at every meal
- Don’t drink with meals; wait about 30 minutes
- Take your vitamins every day, for life
- Walk every day and build up exercise over the weeks
Gastric sleeve risks, and how we reduce them
A gastric sleeve is one of the most common weight-loss operations, but it is major surgery. These are the risks your surgeon will discuss with you.
Staple line leak
A leak from the staple line is the most serious early complication, though rare. The line is tested during surgery and you are monitored closely.
Bleeding
Bleeding from the staple line can happen in the first days. It is checked during surgery and your blood count is monitored while you are in hospital.
Blood clots
Obesity and major surgery both raise the risk. It is reduced by early walking, compression stockings and daily blood-thinning injections.
Reflux
Heartburn can start or get worse after a sleeve; medication usually helps. If you already have strong reflux, a bypass may be recommended instead.
Vitamin deficiencies
You eat less, so vitamins and minerals such as B12, iron and vitamin D are taken for life and checked with blood tests.
Gastric sleeve in Turkey: frequently asked questions
Usually a BMI of 40 or more, or 35 or more with a weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea. Your surgeon makes the final decision after an assessment.
On average about 60–70% of your excess weight within 12–18 months. Results depend on your starting weight and how you eat and move afterwards.
Neither is better for everyone. A sleeve is simpler and shorter; a bypass often works better with strong reflux or type 2 diabetes. Your surgeon recommends one after your assessment.
You will have some pain from the small cuts and gas for the first few days. It is well controlled with pain relief, and most patients walk on the first day.
Only small ones. The operation is done by keyhole surgery through 4–5 small cuts in the abdomen and usually takes about 2–3 hours. The cuts leave short scars that normally fade over the following months and are usually covered by clothing. Your surgeon checks the wounds before you fly home.
Liquids for the first 2 weeks, then puréed food, then soft food, and normal healthy food from about 6–8 weeks. Your dietitian gives you a detailed plan.
Usually after about 5 days, once your surgeon has checked you. You wear compression stockings and walk around on the plane.
Desk work after about 2 weeks. Physical work after about 4–6 weeks.
Often, after a lot of weight loss. Once your weight has been stable for some months, body contouring such as a tummy tuck, arm lift or thigh lift can remove it.
It can stretch a little over time if you regularly eat large portions. Eating small meals slowly and following your dietitian’s advice helps you keep your result.
It can be, if your provider is licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health, an experienced bariatric surgeon operates in an accredited hospital and you have dietitian follow-up. MAYCLINIK holds licence AK-0086.
Related articles
Medically reviewed guides that answer the questions patients ask most about this treatment.
Diet after a gastric sleeve: the stages, protein, fluids and vitamins
From clear liquids in the first two weeks to normal food at around six to eight weeks: how eating changes after a sleeve gastrectomy, and the habits that protect your result.
6 min readRead article Weight-loss surgeryWeight loss after a gastric sleeve: a realistic month-by-month timeline
How much weight do people lose after a sleeve gastrectomy, how fast, and why it sometimes stalls? Typical ranges for the first two years, explained in plain terms.
6 min readRead article Plastic surgeryLoose skin after weight loss: what helps and when to consider surgery
Why skin does not always shrink back after major weight loss, what you can and cannot prevent, and how a body lift, arm lift, thigh lift or breast lift is planned.
6 min readRead articleContact
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