When you’re preparing for gastric sleeve surgery, your consultation with the surgeon is not a formality. It’s your opportunity to understand exactly what you’re agreeing to, to assess the person who will be operating on you, and to leave with no important question unanswered.
Before our surgeries in March 2024, we spent time working out what to ask. Some of these questions helped us feel confident. A few of them revealed things we hadn’t thought about. All of them are worth having answered before you sign anything.
1. How many gastric sleeve surgeries have you performed?
Experience is one of the strongest predictors of outcomes in bariatric surgery. A surgeon who has performed hundreds of procedures will have encountered the range of anatomical variations and intraoperative complications that less experienced surgeons may not have. Ask for a specific number – not a vague “many” – and ask what their complication and leak rates are. A confident, experienced surgeon will answer this directly.
2. What are the short- and long-term risks specific to my case?
Ask for a breakdown of both. Short-term risks include staple line leak, bleeding, infection, blood clots, and adverse anaesthetic reactions. Longer-term risks include nutritional deficiencies, acid reflux, and the psychological adjustment to rapid weight loss. Ask how those risks apply specifically to your starting weight, BMI, and any comorbidities – not just the general averages.
3. How do you decide between a sleeve and other procedures?
For some patients, gastric bypass or a mini-bypass is a more appropriate procedure – particularly if you have existing GORD (acid reflux), since the sleeve can worsen it. Ask how the surgeon makes that decision and what criteria would lead them to recommend a different approach. We were initially assessed for both sleeve and bypass; the final decision came after pre-op investigations.
4. What does my pre-operative preparation involve?
Ask specifically about the liver reduction diet, any required blood tests or investigations, medication adjustments, and the timeline. The liver reduction diet – typically two weeks of low-calorie, low-carbohydrate eating before surgery – is important: it shrinks the liver to make the operation safer. Ask exactly what’s required of you and for how long.
5. What is the expected recovery time, and what determines it?
Ask about hospital stay length, when you can return to desk work, when to physical work, and when you might feel genuinely well again. Recovery varies. Kirsten bounced back faster than James, who had a known anaesthetic reaction to manage. The range matters as much as the average.
6. What type of anaesthesia will be used, and who administers it?
This is more important than it might seem. James had a known adverse reaction to anaesthesia that we’d flagged before surgery – it was managed by the anaesthetic team, but only because we disclosed it clearly and early. Make sure your anaesthetist is aware of any previous reactions, sensitivities, or relevant medical history. You can read more about James’s experience on our aftercare page.
7. What happens if complications arise during or after surgery?
Ask who handles intraoperative complications, what happens if you need to be readmitted after discharge, and whether follow-up complications are covered within the package fee or charged separately. If you’re having surgery abroad, ask specifically how they handle complications once you’ve returned home – what communication channels exist and how they work in practice.
8. What pain management will I receive in hospital and after discharge?
Understand what medications you’ll be given, how long you’ll have them, and what to do if pain is not well controlled after you go home. Also ask what warning signs – particularly fever, increasing abdominal pain, or feeling generally unwell – should prompt you to seek medical attention rather than waiting.
9. How much weight can I realistically expect to lose?
Ask for a personalised projection based on your starting weight, not just the general average. The typical published figure is 60-70% of excess body weight within 12-18 months, but individual variation is significant. Ask the surgeon what they would consider a good outcome for a patient with your profile – and what factors most influence that.
10. What does your aftercare package include, and for how long?
Aftercare is as important as the surgery itself. Ask how many follow-up appointments are included, over what period, and whether they involve a dietitian. Ask what blood tests are scheduled and at what intervals. Ask what happens after the aftercare window closes – who manages your nutritional follow-up in year two, five, and beyond. A clinic that’s vague about post-operative support is worth questioning.
11. What are the post-operative food stages and how long does each last?
Every clinic’s protocol differs slightly. Ask for a written breakdown of the progression from liquids to purées to soft foods to solids, and the timeline for each stage. Ask what happens if a stage is harder than expected – whether that means extending it or whether there’s flexibility. Understanding this before surgery reduces anxiety enormously afterwards.
12. What supplements will I need to take, and for how long?
Lifelong supplementation is non-negotiable after gastric sleeve surgery. Ask specifically which supplements are required, at what doses, and how often blood tests should check your levels. James developed significant deficiencies around month 11 – fatigue, brain fog, cold intolerance – that required a full protocol overhaul. We’ve written about what we take and why on our supplements and vitamins page. Get this information from the surgeon before surgery, not after.
13. When can I exercise, and at what intensity?
Ask when light activity (such as walking) can begin and when more strenuous exercise is safe. Starting too soon can cause pain or slow healing. Starting too late delays recovery. James was walking around the ward the evening of his surgery; full gym workouts came later. Get a clear timeline specific to your procedure and starting fitness level.
14. If I’m travelling from abroad, what does post-operative communication look like?
If you’re having surgery outside the UK, this question is essential. Ask how follow-up appointments work, whether they can be conducted remotely, whether you can contact the surgical team directly if something feels wrong after you’re home, and what their process is for complications that arise in your home country. We confirmed this thoroughly before travelling to Weight Loss Riga, and it made the post-operative period considerably less stressful.
15. What does the total cost include, and what is not covered?
Ask for a full written itemised breakdown: surgeon fee, hospital or facility fee, anaesthetist, pre-op tests and investigations, endoscopy (if required), post-op medication, and aftercare appointments. Ask specifically whether complications within a defined post-operative window are covered. Ask what the private room rate is if applicable. Vague all-inclusive pricing that doesn’t specify what happens if things go wrong is a flag worth examining.
Your consultation is your chance to ask anything and everything. There are no silly questions here – this is major, permanent surgery. Bring your questions written down. Take notes. Don’t leave until you feel fully informed about what you’re agreeing to.
Sources cited in this post: BOMSS – Patient pathway and commissioning guidance for bariatric surgery
General Medical Council – The medical register (verifying surgeon credentials)
NHS – Questions to ask before an operation
Royal College of Surgeons – Patient information: choosing your surgeon
- NHS, “Weight loss surgery”: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/weight-loss-surgery/
- NICE clinical guideline CG189: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg189
- British Obesity & Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS): https://bomss.org/
- General Medical Council, specialist register: https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/the-medical-register
About this content
This blog is written by James and Kirsten, a couple from the UK who had gastric sleeve surgery together in March 2024.
We started this blog because we couldn't find any sources of content that details before surgery, the surgery and then life post surgery - so we decided to write one ourselves.
Everything on this site is based on our own experience and the research we have done along the way. It is not medical advice. Gastric sleeve surgery is a serious procedure and every patient's journey is different. Please always consult your own bariatric team or GP before making any decisions about your health or treatment.
Some posts on this site may contain featured or sponsored content, or affiliate links. Where this is the case, it will always be clearly stated at the top of the article. Our opinions are always our own.
Publish Date: 4 November 2025 | Last Reviewed: 27 June 2026 | Next Planned Review: 27 December 2027