If you are struggling with severe obesity but managing your weight and it’s continuously failing after you try diets and exercise then it can be frustrating. Gastric sleeve surgery or sleeve gastrectomy, is a weight loss procedure. It helps patients to reduce their weight, achieve their goals, improve their health condition and boost the quality of life. The sleeve gastrectomy procedure reduces the size of the stomach, helps people to lose weight and improves the obesity related problem. The cost of gastric sleeve surgery is different in other countries like Thailand, France, India and many others.
Thailand is a popular destination for medical treatment, attracting patients from worldwide who want the best healthcare. Thailand provides gastric sleeve surgery at an affordable cost. They have the highe success rate in the surgery with advanced medical technology and expert doctors. Here, we will understand the types of gastric sleeve surgery, their procedure, recovery and a lot of things.
What is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Gastric sleeve surgery is a procedure for weight loss. It removes the large portion from your stomach and leaves the small sleeve stomach size of a banana. It helps to reduce the capacity of the stomach, limit the intake of food and medically helps to reduce body weight. This procedure helps to reduce the ghrelin hormones of hunger, so it can be easy to lose weight.
Types of Surgical Approaches in Sleeve Gastrectomy
There are 4 types of approaches gastric sleeve surgery procedures:
- Standard Sleeve Gastrectomy: It is the most popular type and it creates a long, tubular or sleeve shaped stomach. This removes 70 to 80% of the stomach with the larger curve.
- Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: This procedure requires multiple tiny surgical cuts to allow a surgeon to access internal organs for treatment. It is done with special surgical equipment and laparoscopically. A laparoscope is a thin tube in which a camera and lights are attached.
- Single-Incision Sleeve Gastrectomy: This is used in a single sleeve gastrectomy in some circumstances. This procedure is used to lessen the noticeable scar and reduce the pain during the surgery.
- Sleeve Gastrectomy Revision: If in the past you had face the bariatric surgery, then you may need the revision surgery to improve your health.
Best Hospital for the Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Thailand
There are 5 top hospitals for the gastric sleeve surgery in Bangkok, Thailand.
- Bangkok Hospital: This hospital is in Bangkok which is accredited by the JCI. This hospital has the newest technology for healthcare. It is the best for orthopedic, Cardiovascular, every type of surgery and cancer.
- Bangpakok 9 International Hospital: They provide medical services like dental implants, surgery, exercise stress test, ECG, health screening, etc. There are many translation services available like English, French, Chinese, etc. They give the proper facility to the patients like different types of rooms, the coffee shop, food hall, cafe and medical spa.
- Sikarin Hospital: This hospital has a lot of facilities like airport transfer, a choice of meals, and a TV in the room. They receive so many awards and certifications. This hospital has many clinics and centers. They have advanced medical technology.
- Asia Clinic Thonglor: They provide the best service of surgery, skincare, wellness and weight control. This hospital has experienced doctors, advanced technology, non surgical beauty treatments like facial lifting, wrinkle care, etc. Friendly staff who can speak other languages.
- Piyavate Hospital: This hospital provides a lot of facilities, services and physicians in many fields like endocrine system, nervous system, cardiovascular care, etc. They also provide the IVF, eye care and physical therapy. This also provides the facilities to the patient’s family in a hospital like restaurant or cafe.
What are the Risks and Possible Complications?
Mostly, the gastric sleeve surgery is safe, but patients feel pain and discomfort after the surgery. The medication for pain can help to reduce the symptoms during the recovery and healing process. There are risks like:
- Infection at the cut site
- Not taking the recommended diet.
- Leakage from the sleeve which can require resurgery which is rare.
- Blood clots or having difficulty because of anesthesia.
Now let’s find out how to reduce the risks:
- You should choose the experienced doctor.
- Follow all the instruction which doctor provides before the operation.
- Always attend the consultation to see your progress.
Procedure of Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Before starting the procedure, they do things like:
Before Gastric Sleeve Surgery
At first, you will go with the health screening and qualify for the bariatric sleeve surgery. If you passed then the next step is that you have to stay on a liquid diet for two weeks. The surgeon will advise you to follow some things to lose some fat from your abdomen and liver to make the surgery safer. You should not eat or drink anything for 12 hours before your surgery. Make sure your stomach is empty during the surgery. If you have eaten something before surgery then side effects can occur.
During Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Which surgery will happens its depends on your situation. Some sleeve gastrectomies are done with large cuts in the belly and some with a few small cuts in the belly. A surgeon will give you anesthesia and make cuts, then they insert a laparoscope and pump carbon dioxide gas to expand the belly. Then insert other medical instruments through the other cuts and remove three quarters of your stomach. At the end, they reattach your stomach with staples.
Surgery takes approx one to two hours. After surgery, you wake up in a recovery room where the medical staff will check for any problems. Your surgeon will tell you to stay in the hospital for one to two days. This way, they can help to manage your pain and any temporary side effects of surgery.
After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
You will have check-ups with your surgeon in the weeks and months. They will check the progress of your weight loss, health related conditions and any side effects of the surgery. They also want to know if you are taking care of yourself and maintaining your health.
Also, your diet starts to change to sugar-free, non-carbonated liquid food for the first seven days. Then move to solid foods for three weeks and after that to regular foods approx four weeks after your surgery. You should not take water while having a meal because of your small stomach. You have to take a multivitamin two times in a day and a calcium supplement once a day.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery Recovery Process in Thailand
Here is the recovery stage with the duration of time it will heal and what you should expect:
| Recovery Stage | Duration | What to Expect |
| Immediate Post Surgery | 2 to 3 days | Swelling, mild discomfort. Resting your head |
| Post-op Healing | 3 to 6 Weeks | Return to your normal activities. Had a soft food diet. |
| Full recovery | 7 to 18 Months | Weight loss, healthy lifestyle and diet |
Gastric Sleeve Surgery Cost in Thailand
The cost of gastric sleeve surgery in Thailand depends on many factors like the procedure, type of condition, the location and reputation of the hospital, techniques, the packages they are providing and the expert surgeon. The price of the gastric sleeve surgery is THB 175,000 to 500,000 or more than that.
Cost Breakdown of Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Thailand
There are a lot of things that are included in the cost of gastric sleeve surgery in Thailand
| Category | Item Description | Approx Cost in THB | Approx Cost in USD |
| Consultation | Pre-op surgeon, nutritional consults | Include in the package | Include in the package |
| Surgery Fees | Surgeon, anesthesia, operating room, materials | 99,000 to 160,000 | 2,000 to 5,000 |
| Hospital Stay | 3-5 nights private room, nursing, meals | 55,000 to 90,000 | 1,000 to 3,000 |
| Post-Operative Care | Medicines, checkups | 6,000 to 15,000 | 100 to 500 |
| Pre-Operation Check | Blood test, EKG, chest X-ray, specialised scans | 11,000 to 21,000 | 300 to 700 |
Factors Affecting the Cost of Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Thailand
There are so many factors that can affect the cost of gastric sleeve surgery in Thailand like:
- Type of Treatment: There are so many types, like Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty and Vertical sleeve gastrectomy.
- Hospital and Location: Cost depends on the location like if the hospital is in an urban or high-cost area, then it charges more.
- Pre-Treatment Tests: Tests like X-ray and electrocardiograms are also included in the cost.
- Post-Treatment Care: Taking proper medication and consultation also impacts the cost.
- Hospital Stay: The longer you stay in the hospital the larger your cost increase. It also includes the complicated surgeries and complications.
Cost Comparison of Different Countries
Now, let’s do a comparison of the cost of different countries
| Country | Approx Cost Local currency | Approx Cost in USD |
| India | INR 3,00,000 to 6,00,000 | 3,500 to 6,500 |
| Thailand | THB 175,000 to 500,000 | 5000 to 15,000 |
| France | EUR 10,000 to 15,000 | 13,000 to 17,000 |
| Iraq | IQD 4,000,000 to 6,700,000 | 3,000 to 5,000 |
| Kuwait | KWD 4,000 to 7,000 | 15,000 to 25,000 |
Benefits of Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Thailand
This surgery offers affordability, quality and patient care. Thailand is the best destination for medical conditions and the benefits are:
- They have skilled surgeons and advanced or the latest medical technology to ensure a safer procedure.
- Thailand provides an affordable cost for international patients without compromising their health.
- Many hospitals and clinics provide personalised care packages for international patients. It includes a pre-surgery consultation, surgery, post-op care and accommodation.
- They follow the protocol and do the work very carefully and give all the attention to the details.
Conclusion
At the end, we get to know that gastric sleeve surgery is one of the best surgeries for weight loss. For people who have tried a lot to lose weight with a diet, exercise, or supplements and still there is no improvement, then gastric sleeve surgery is the better option. If you are planning for the surgery, then Thailand is the best option. The cost of gastric sleeve surgery in Thailand is affordable for most of the people in different countries. There are a lot of benefits if your surgery takes place in Thailand. We hope that we clear each and every things that you need to know.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, and the cost of surgeries is just an estimate. Always consult a qualified bariatric surgeon or healthcare professional before making any medical decisions.
