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Abroad · Turkey

Gastric sleeve in Turkey vs Ireland

A fair comparison: the real savings, the real trade-offs, and what the Irish authorities advise if you go.

The short answer

A gastric sleeve in Turkey is often advertised at less than half the Irish price. What you give up is mostly what happens after: the HSE's EU schemes don't cover Turkey, travel costs don't get tax relief, you fly home within days of a major operation, and your lifelong follow-up still has to happen in Ireland. Irish hospitals regularly treat people for complications after surgery abroad. If you go, the Department of Foreign Affairs advises checking the provider's credentials and accreditation, and having travel insurance.

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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.

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What have you tried before?

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Which option are you looking at?

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

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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.

Side by side

IrelandTurkey
PriceAbout €6,500 to €10,000 for a sleeveOften less than half the Irish price
AssessmentConsultations with a team over weeksOften a video call, then tests on arrival
After the operationHome by car, the team a phone call awayA flight home within days
Follow-upPlanned visits for yearsYou arrange it at home
If something goes wrongThe same team treats you; Irish law appliesAn Irish emergency department; legal action happens in Turkey
Tax relief20% of what you payThe operation may qualify; travel and hotels don't
HSE schemesPublic route availableNot covered: Turkey isn't in the EU schemes
Doctors and nurses walking down a bright hospital corridor

What Irish doctors see

A study at a Dublin public hospital, presented to the Irish Society of Gastroenterology, followed 30 people who came to that hospital with complications after weight loss surgery abroad over almost three years. Most had had a sleeve (22 of the 30), and Turkey was the most common destination (17). Twenty-four were admitted, for an average of 18.6 days, and people with a staple-line leak stayed 55.5 days on average.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was told of four deaths of Irish citizens after medical and cosmetic procedures abroad in 2023. Most people who travel come home well. The point is that when things go wrong, they go wrong far from the team that did the operation.

The official Irish advice

The Department of Foreign Affairs' medical tourism advice says to:

  • research the provider's credentials yourself, and check the facility is accredited by the authorities in that country;
  • find out what legal action is open to you if something goes wrong;
  • discuss your plans with your own doctor before you commit;
  • be ready for language difficulties;
  • have appropriate travel insurance: the European Health Insurance Card isn't valid outside the EU;
  • get a discharge summary in English, and understand the follow-up you'll need;
  • get a fit-to-fly certificate before you're discharged if your airline asks for one.

The Department can't give financial or legal help to people who run into difficulty after treatment abroad.

If you decide to go

  • Get the surgeon's name and registration, and the hospital's name, in writing, before you pay.
  • Ask what happens if you need a return to theatre, a longer stay or a later flight, and who pays.
  • Tell your GP before you go, and ask whether they'll do your blood tests and vitamins after.
  • Budget for follow-up in Ireland: dietitian visits, blood tests and, if needed, a private surgeon.
  • Bring home the operation note, the discharge summary and the details of any staples or devices used.
  • Learn the warning signs of a leak or clot, and go to an emergency department if they appear.

Questions people ask

Is it safe to get a gastric sleeve in Turkey?

Many people have surgery abroad without problems, and standards vary from hospital to hospital. The risks come from checking a provider from a distance, flying soon after major surgery, and having no team at home. Irish hospitals regularly treat complications after surgery abroad.

How much cheaper is a gastric sleeve in Turkey?

Packages are often advertised at less than half the Irish price. Add flights, accommodation, someone travelling with you, and follow-up at home.

Will the HSE treat me if something goes wrong after surgery abroad?

Yes, an Irish emergency department will treat you. Planned follow-up is a different matter: you'll need to arrange it through your GP or privately.

Does the HSE refund surgery in Turkey?

No. The Cross-Border Directive and the Treatment Abroad Scheme cover EU and EEA countries (and Switzerland for the Treatment Abroad Scheme), not Turkey.

Read next

Gastric sleeve cost in IrelandWhat a sleeve costs privately, what the quote should include, the costs…Revision surgeryA second weight loss operationRisks and side effectsEvery operation has risks

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