The information on this page is general education, not medical advice. It does not cover every consideration for every patient. Final recommendations depend on specialist consultation, your medical history, and pre-operative evaluation.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
What it is
Sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical procedure in which a portion of the stomach is removed, leaving a smaller, sleeve-shaped stomach. It reduces the amount of food the stomach can hold and affects appetite-related hormones. It is one of the most commonly performed bariatric procedures worldwide and is typically performed laparoscopically at established Korean hospitals.
Sleeve gastrectomy is permanent — the removed portion of the stomach cannot be restored. It is a significant operation performed under general anesthesia, and it requires lasting changes to how you eat and how your health is monitored.
Who may be considered
Candidacy is determined by specialist evaluation, generally taking into account BMI, obesity-related conditions (such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, or fatty liver disease), previous weight-loss attempts, and overall surgical fitness. International guidelines commonly consider bariatric surgery for patients with BMI ≥ 35, or ≥ 30 with significant metabolic disease, with adjusted thresholds sometimes applied for Asian populations. These figures are a starting point for discussion, not an entitlement to surgery.
What should be reviewed before treatment
- Complete medical history and current medications
- Laboratory and metabolic testing
- Endoscopic evaluation of the stomach and esophagus where indicated (significant reflux may point toward a different procedure)
- Anesthesia risk assessment
- Nutritional and, where appropriate, psychological readiness
Possible risks and follow-up needs
As with any major surgery, risks include bleeding, infection, leakage at the staple line, blood clots, and anesthesia-related complications. Longer term, some patients experience reflux, nutritional deficiencies, or weight regain. Lifelong vitamin and mineral supplementation is commonly required, along with scheduled follow-up and blood testing. Individual results vary, and no outcome can be guaranteed.
Request a Preliminary Medical Review
Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y)
What it is
Gastric bypass creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes a section of the small intestine, changing both how much you can eat and how nutrients and gut hormones behave. It has a long track record in bariatric and metabolic surgery and is frequently considered for patients whose obesity is accompanied by type 2 diabetes or significant reflux disease.
Who may be considered
Specialists may consider gastric bypass for patients meeting general bariatric criteria, particularly where type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or reflux is prominent. The choice between sleeve gastrectomy and bypass is individualized — it depends on your anatomy, metabolic profile, medications, and surgical risk, and should be made together with your surgical team.
What should be reviewed before treatment
- Diabetes status, current medications (including insulin and GLP-1 medications), and metabolic testing
- Cardiac and anesthesia risk evaluation
- Endoscopic and imaging assessment where indicated
- Nutritional baseline, since bypass carries a higher long-term requirement for supplementation
- Any history of abdominal surgery, which can affect surgical planning
Possible risks and follow-up needs
Risks include those of any major abdominal surgery, plus procedure-specific considerations such as anastomotic leak, internal hernia, dumping syndrome, ulcers at the connection site, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies (iron, B12, calcium, vitamin D and others). Lifelong supplementation and regular laboratory follow-up are standard. Patients with diabetes need a clear plan for medication adjustment after surgery, coordinated between the Korean team and their home doctor. Improvement in type 2 diabetes is well documented after metabolic surgery, but it is not universal and cannot be guaranteed for any individual.
Request a Preliminary Medical Review
Revisional Bariatric Surgery
What it is
Revisional surgery modifies or converts a previous bariatric procedure. Patients seek revision for several reasons: complications from a prior operation (such as severe reflux after sleeve gastrectomy or problems following gastric banding), insufficient weight loss, or significant weight regain.
Revisional surgery is generally more complex than a first operation and requires an experienced surgical team and especially careful evaluation.
Who may be considered
Patients with a prior bariatric procedure — sleeve, bypass, band, or older procedures — who are experiencing complications or unsatisfactory results may be considered. Whether revision is appropriate, and which revision, depends heavily on what was done before, your current anatomy, and why the earlier result was insufficient.
What should be reviewed before treatment
- Complete records of your previous bariatric surgery: operative notes, procedure type, and date. If records are unavailable, please tell us — imaging and endoscopy can help reconstruct your surgical anatomy, but original records are strongly preferred
- Endoscopic and imaging evaluation of your current anatomy
- Nutritional status, which is often affected after a prior procedure
- An honest review of eating patterns and follow-up history since the first surgery, without judgment — this information changes surgical planning
Possible risks and follow-up needs
Revisional procedures carry higher complication rates than primary surgery, including leak, bleeding, and stricture. Recovery planning and follow-up requirements are typically more intensive. Because of this, revisional cases receive extended review before any travel planning begins.
Request a Review — Please Mention Your Previous Procedure
Medical Weight Loss (Non-Surgical)
What it is
Medical weight loss is physician-supervised, non-surgical treatment for obesity and metabolic disease. Depending on the patient, it may include prescription medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, structured nutrition planning, metabolic monitoring, and treatment of related conditions. In Korea, this care is delivered through hospital obesity or endocrinology programs.
Who may be considered
- Patients who do not meet surgical criteria, or for whom surgery carries too much risk
- Patients who prefer to try a supervised non-surgical pathway first
- Patients preparing for surgery, where pre-operative weight reduction is medically advised
- Patients who have used GLP-1 medications before — with or without success — and want a structured, monitored program rather than medication alone
What should be reviewed before treatment
- Full medication history, including any previous GLP-1 use, dosing, side effects, and results
- Metabolic and laboratory assessment (thyroid, liver, kidney function, diabetes status)
- Conditions that may affect medication choice, such as pancreatitis history or gallbladder disease
- Realistic goal-setting and a monitoring plan, including how prescriptions and follow-up will be managed given that you live outside Korea
Possible risks and follow-up needs
Weight-loss medications have side effects — commonly gastrointestinal — and are not appropriate for everyone. Weight regain after stopping medication is common, which is why medical weight loss should be understood as ongoing treatment, not a one-time course. Cross-border prescription and follow-up have practical and legal limits; part of our review is establishing honestly what can and cannot be managed remotely, and what must be handled by a local doctor in your home country.
Request a Preliminary Medical Review
Pre-operative Assessment Program
What it is
The pre-operative program is the structured evaluation stage that every surgical patient completes before an operation is confirmed. It typically includes laboratory testing, imaging, endoscopy where indicated, anesthesia evaluation, specialist consultations, and nutrition assessment. Parts of this begin remotely — through document review before you travel — and are completed in person at the hospital in Korea.
Why it matters
The pre-operative program is where the real treatment decision is made. It can confirm the planned procedure, change it, delay it, or rule it out. Patients with diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, heart disease, or kidney disease receive particular attention at this stage, because these conditions affect anesthesia and surgical risk.
What should be reviewed before treatment
- Recent laboratory results and health screening reports from your home country, if available
- Current medication list, including doses
- Records of previous surgery or hospitalization
- Sleep study results if you have been evaluated for sleep apnea
What to expect
We help you complete as much documentation as possible before travel, so that your time in Korea is used for the tests and consultations that must happen in person. You should still plan for the possibility that in-person findings change the plan — a responsible program keeps that possibility open.
Start With a Preliminary Medical Review
Post-operative Nutrition and Follow-up
What it is
Recovery from bariatric surgery follows a structured progression — from liquids to soft foods to a stable long-term diet — together with supplementation, activity guidance, and scheduled medical follow-up. Before discharge in Korea, patients receive education covering diet stages, wound care, medication changes, warning signs, and follow-up scheduling.
Why it matters for international patients
You will complete most of your recovery at home in Malaysia, Indonesia, or elsewhere. That makes follow-up planning a core part of your treatment, not an afterthought. Your discharge plan should specify:
- Your diet progression and supplementation schedule
- Which follow-up checks and blood tests you need, and when
- What can be handled by a local doctor at home, and what may be managed remotely with the Korean hospital where available
- Warning signs — such as persistent vomiting, fever, worsening abdominal pain, or signs of dehydration — that require prompt local medical care
What should be reviewed
Before you travel home, we review your follow-up plan with you, help you prepare an English-language discharge summary for your local doctor, and set expectations for staying in contact.
Possible risks and follow-up needs
Skipping follow-up is one of the most common causes of long-term problems after bariatric surgery, including nutritional deficiency and unmanaged complications. We are direct about this with every patient: if you are not prepared to follow up, you are not ready for surgery.
Ask About Follow-up Planning
