Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Turkey Safe? Dr. Volkan Arayici Explains

Is it safe to go to Turkey for a gastric sleeve?

In this short video, Op. Dr. Volkan Arayici, a bariatric surgeon in Izmir, answers the question patients ask most often: is gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey safe? His answer: it depends on where you have it and who operates. Safety is not a feature of a country. It comes from the hospital, the surgeon and the aftercare.

Four things to check before you book

• Accredited hospital: surgery takes place in a JCI- and TEMOS-accredited hospital in Izmir.
• Experienced surgeon: Dr. Arayici has performed more than 5,000 bariatric operations and has worked exclusively in obesity and metabolic surgery since 2014. He is a member of IFSO.
• Hospital, not hotel: patients stay four nights in hospital until discharge. Some clinics move patients to a hotel soon after surgery; Dr. Arayici's patients are not sent to a hotel.
• 12 months of aftercare: follow-up by video call and WhatsApp once you are back home.

What the stay in Turkey looks like

The total stay is five days. On arrival day you are admitted and blood tests are taken. The next morning you have an abdominal ultrasound, echocardiogram and cardiology, pulmonology and anaesthesia checks; if everything is fine, surgery follows around midday. The keyhole (laparoscopic) operation usually takes 45 to 75 minutes. After four nights in hospital you are discharged on day five and transferred directly to the airport. An interpreter is included.

Is it right for you?

Every operation carries risks, and Dr. Arayici discusses them with you in person. Whether a gastric sleeve is suitable depends on your BMI, medical history and conditions such as reflux. Send your height, weight and age, and Dr. Arayici will give you his assessment personally.

More information: how safe is gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey.

Video transcript

[00:00] Is it safe to go to Turkey for a gastric sleeve? [00:02] It depends on where – and who. Here is what to check: [00:05] Accredited hospital: JCI- and TEMOS-accredited hospital in Izmir. [00:08] Experienced surgeon: over 5,000 operations in Izmir. [00:11] Hospital, not hotel: four nights in hospital until discharge. [00:15] 12 months aftercare: video call and WhatsApp once you are home. [00:17] Is it right for you? Message me your height, weight and age. Every operation carries risks – we discuss them with you in person.