Request a consultationAm I eligible?

Safety · Gastric sleeve

Gastric sleeve risks and side effects

Every operation has risks. These are the ones that matter after a sleeve, what they feel like and what lowers them.

The short answer

The HSE lists the main risks of weight loss surgery: blood clots, a leak from the staple line, wound infection, a blocked gut, gallstones, excess skin and malnutrition. After a sleeve, acid reflux can also start or get worse. Serious complications are uncommon, but they're real, and how quickly they're caught matters. That's why lifelong follow-up and a team you can reach day and night count.

Free check · about a minute

Am I eligible?

See where your BMI sits against the usual criteria, what it costs in Ireland and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do. A surgeon always makes the final call.

Your height and weight never leave your device. If you ask a clinic to contact you, we send only a BMI band and your answers, with your consent.

Step 1 of 7

Your height and weight

We work out your BMI here on the page. Nothing is sent.

cm
kg
Your BMI–

Enter your height and weight.

Do you have any of these?

Tick all that apply. These are the conditions surgeons look for at a BMI of 35 to 40.

What have you tried before?

Tick all that apply. A clinic asks this at the first consultation.

Which option are you looking at?

Pick the closest. You can change your mind at the consultation.

How would you like to go about it?

Your result explains the cost and the wait for each route.

When, and where are you?

The clinic uses your county to plan consultations and check-ups near you.

Your result
Where should the clinic contact you?

One Irish clinic gets your enquiry, nobody else. They contact you to arrange a consultation with a surgeon. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Thank you

Your enquiry is on its way to one Irish clinic. Here's what happens next:

  1. Today. We pass your answers to one clinic whose bariatric surgeons are on the Medical Council's Specialist Register. No one else gets them.
  2. Usually within two working days. The clinic rings or texts you to arrange a first consultation.
  3. At the consultation. A surgeon and the team assess you, explain your options and give you a written quote. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Changed your mind? Email hello@gastricsleeve.ie and we'll delete your enquiry and tell the clinic.

In the first weeks

RiskWhat it isWhat lowers it
Blood clotsA clot in a leg vein (DVT) that can travel to the lungsWalking early, blood-thinning injections, stockings, not smoking
Staple-line leakStomach contents leak into the tummy and cause a serious infectionFollowing the liquid stage exactly, and getting help fast if you feel unwell
BleedingFrom the staple line or a woundWatched for in hospital; tell the team about blood thinners you take
Wound infectionRedness, heat or discharge at a cutKeeping wounds clean and dry
Blocked gutNarrowing from scarring or swellingReported early: trouble swallowing or keeping food down
Doctors and nurses walking down a bright hospital corridor

Later on

  • Acid reflux. A sleeve can start reflux or make it worse. Medicine usually helps; sometimes a conversion to a bypass is needed.
  • Gallstones. Rapid weight loss can cause them. Some people need their gallbladder removed.
  • Vitamin and mineral deficiency. Tiredness, breathlessness, pale skin, pins and needles. Prevented with lifelong supplements and blood tests.
  • Excess skin. Loose skin on the tummy, arms, thighs and breasts. Removing it is separate surgery, usually treated as cosmetic.
  • Weight regain. The HSE says some regain after 12 to 18 months is common and isn't failure. Large regain needs a proper look at diet, habits and mental health, and sometimes a revision.
  • Contraception and pregnancy. The HSE says the pill isn't reliable after surgery, and to avoid pregnancy for 12 to 18 months.

How to lower your risk

  • Choose a team that does bariatric surgery routinely, with a dietitian and psychologist, and follow-up for years, not weeks.
  • Stop smoking well before surgery.
  • Do the pre-operation diet exactly; it makes keyhole surgery safer.
  • Know who to ring at night, and ring them if something feels wrong.
  • Take your vitamins and go to every follow-up.

Who shouldn't have it

The HSE's criteria start with safety: an anaesthetic and surgery must be safe for you, and you must be able to commit to long-term follow-up. A sleeve is also a poor fit for people with severe reflux, and for anyone planning a pregnancy within 12 to 18 months. The team will tell you honestly if surgery isn't right for you now.

Questions people ask

What is the most serious risk of a gastric sleeve?

A leak from the staple line, and blood clots. Both are uncommon, both need urgent treatment, and both are why early walking, injections and fast access to the team matter.

Does a gastric sleeve cause reflux?

It can. A sleeve can start acid reflux or make existing reflux worse. If you already have bad reflux, ask about a bypass.

Can you die from a gastric sleeve?

Deaths are rare, but every major operation carries that risk. Your surgeon should explain your own risk, which depends on your health.

Read next

Recovery week by weekFrom the hospital bed to the first anniversarySleeve gastrectomy explainedWhat the operation does, the weeks before it, what happens on the day and the…Turkey vs IrelandA fair comparison

Free, private, one clinic

Check where you stand in about a minute

Your BMI against the usual criteria, the cost in Ireland, and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do.

Check if I'm eligible
Am I eligible?Prices