Gastric Sleeve
A gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy) removes the part of the stomach that tends to stretch, which is also where the only hunger hormone known to date is produced. What remains is a narrower, tube-shaped stomach that limits how much you can eat in the long term and helps you lose weight. Dr. Jesús Lago operates at Clínica 3 de Mayo in Madrid, for patients from the UK, Ireland and beyond.
- All-inclusive price
- €9,950
- Hospital stay
- 48 to 72 h
- Recovery
- 6 to 7 days
How Gastric Sleeve Surgery Works
A gastric sleeve leaves nothing behind in your body: the change is permanent and needs no adjustments afterward.
We operate through small incisions (laparoscopy) under general anesthesia. During the first month, your diet moves through stages: liquids, then puréed food, then soft food. From the second month you go back to normal eating, in smaller portions.
- Duration
- 1 h 30 min
- Approach
- Laparoscopic (small incisions)
- Anesthesia
- General
Our Complication Rates
We carry out more than five gastric sleeve operations a year. These figures come from Clínica 3 de Mayo's retrospective review of the last ten years, updated in September 2026.
| Complication | Published literature* | Clínica 3 de Mayo |
|---|---|---|
| Major | 2-6% | 1.6% |
| Gastroesophageal reflux | 15-30% | 14% |
| Suture leak | 1-3% | 0.3% |
| Thromboembolism | 0.2-1% | 0.5% |
| Early reoperation | 1-3% | 0.1% |
| Gastric tube stricture | 0.5-2% | 0.4% |
| Hemorrhage | 1-4% | 0.8% |
- * Peterli R et al., SM-BOSS, JAMA, 2018.
- * Salminen P et al., SLEEVEPASS, JAMA Surg, 2022.
- * Arterburn DE et al., JAMA, 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
The price of a gastric sleeve covers your preoperative assessment, evaluation consultation, surgery, hospital stay, follow-up appointments, two years of nutritional follow-up, weight loss surgery aftercare with two appointments with a psychologist, and a 24-hour emergency line for two years. If needed, it also covers an endoscopy, a blood test and an ultrasound.
After a gastric sleeve, food is reintroduced gradually: liquids and purées for the first few weeks, soft food by the end of the first month, then normal food in smaller portions from the second month.
No. The part of the stomach removed during a gastric sleeve cannot be put back. That is the trade-off compared with a gastric band, which is adjustable and reversible but needs regular adjustments at follow-up visits.
Yes, reflux is the known drawback of the gastric sleeve. At Clínica 3 de Mayo, 14% of patients develop it, compared with 15 to 30% in the published literature. Dr. Jesús Lago will talk this through with you at your consultation, especially if you already have reflux before surgery.
Bleeding after surgery. It accounts for most of the 1.6% major complication rate recorded at Clínica 3 de Mayo after a gastric sleeve. A leak from the suture line, the most feared complication, stays at 0.3% over the same period.
We treat it at Clínica 3 de Mayo, and any further surgery is included. A leak is digestive fluid escaping through the staple line along the stomach. In rare cases, a serious leak means we transfer you to a public hospital for immediate treatment.
A gastric band narrows the stomach with an adjustable device, which is fine-tuned at follow-up visits. A sleeve uses no device, and the change is permanent. A gastric bypass goes further, also bypassing part of the intestine so that your body absorbs less food.
See gastric bypassWe continue to see you for checkups and any questions you have. The price of the gastric sleeve includes the first two years of nutritional and bariatric follow-up.
Traveling from Abroad for Surgery
If you are coming from abroad, we organize your stay in Madrid and handle your follow-up remotely.
The Medical Team
Dr. Jesús Lago, lead surgeon in practice since 2000, heads a team that has worked together for almost a decade at Clínica 3 de Mayo. All our doctors are fully qualified and registered with the Madrid College of Physicians (Colegio de Médicos de Madrid).
- Dr. Jesús LagoLead surgeon and president of SETIO (Spanish Society for Interventional Obesity Techniques)
- Dr. Iordan Minchev IordanovHead of anesthesia and team coordinator
- Dr. Werner Engel EspinosaAnesthesiologist
- Dr. Sara Vázquez AmigoCoordination and follow-up
- Dr. Álvaro Henríquez DaoAssistant surgeon
- Gonzalo Chorén PiermateiNurse
Our Centers
Clínica 3 de Mayo Hospital Fuensanta
Calle Arturo Soria 17, 28027 Madrid
Where your operation takes place. Operating rooms, inpatient ward, 24/7 emergency department, intensive care.
Consultations and follow-up
Clínica 3 de Mayo · Calle Apodaca 4, 28004 Madrid
Also at the Hospital Fuensanta outpatient clinic on Thursdays.
Clínica 3 de Mayo S.L. · CIF B83091363
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Book Your First Consultation
We reply within 24 hours on weekdays, then see you for a first consultation by video call or in Madrid.