Gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy)

Gastric sleeve, also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy, is a surgery used for weight loss³. The procedure involves removing a large portion of the stomach, typically around 80%^1,4. This creates a smaller stomach, approximately the size and shape of a banana, which limits the amount of food a person can eat^3,4.

The surgery is performed under general anaesthetic^1,3. The available methods include:

• Keyhole surgery: The surgeon makes 2 to 5 small cuts in the belly^1,3. The belly is filled with air or gas to provide room to work^1,3. The surgeon removes most of the stomach and joins the remaining portions using surgical staples to create a long vertical tube³.
• Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty: A thin, flexible tube with a camera and a stitching device is passed through the mouth into the stomach¹. The stitching device is used to make one or more large folds in the stomach and sew them together¹. This technique does not remove any part of the stomach and does not use cuts or staples¹.

• According to the NHS, the operation usually takes 1 to 3 hours¹.
• According to MedlinePlus, the surgery takes 60 to 90 minutes³.

According to the NHS, patients can usually leave the hospital 1 to 3 days after weight loss surgery². For the endoscopic procedure specifically, the NHS states patients can usually go home on the same day, though some may be kept in hospital overnight¹. According to the NHS, patients can start to return to normal activities after 4 to 6 weeks².

In Metio's data, a «package» price includes more than the operation itself, such as a hotel or transfers. A «procedure» price is the operation alone. The two are never mixed in one figure.