Gastric Sleeve in Turkey for New Zealanders

About 500 people a year can have publicly funded bariatric surgery in New Zealand (Health NZ, reported by RNZ / NZ Herald, November 2025), and not everyone who is referred qualifies. Private surgery here costs about NZ$19,150-24,000 on surgeons' published price lists - out of reach for many whānau.

Istanbul has experienced bariatric surgeons in hospitals licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health for international patients, at a fraction of the price. The flight is long (about 22 hours from Auckland), but for many people the outcome is life-changing.

&NewMe is a marketplace: you can compare surgeons and their Google reviews, and get written quotes before you decide.

Full package: NZ$5,490 (NewMe Comfort package). It includes:

• Surgery with Prof. Dr. Toygar Toydemir, anaesthesia and 3 nights at Istanbul Cerrahi Hospital
• 1 hotel night after discharge
• Pre-op tests in Istanbul
• Airport and hospital transfers
• Medication and protein for the first weeks
• Dietitian support and a coordinator from first message to home

Not included: flights and travel insurance. Return flights have cost recent NZ patients about NZ$2,400-3,600 (NZ$1,900-4,700 seen, depending on airline and how early you book).

Other surgeons on &NewMe quote surgeon + hospital packages from NZ$4,410 (€2,200), without hotel, medication, protein or dietitian - always compare what is included.

Possibly. KiwiSaver providers can release savings for significant financial hardship, which includes the cost of medical treatment. That is the ground to use for weight loss surgery, and your provider's trustee decides case by case (Inland Revenue). Approval is not guaranteed.

• Apply for the full package price in your written quote (NZ$5,490 for NewMe Comfort)
• You will usually need your provider's form, a witnessed statutory declaration, ID, bank statements, a GP letter and the quote
• Tell your coordinator you are applying before you pay a deposit

Read the KiwiSaver guide: rules, documents checklist and what to do if you are declined →

A fair question. Some New Zealanders have had complications after surgery abroad, including in Turkey - usually after choosing an unlicensed clinic, skipping pre-op checks, or having no follow-up at home.

Before you book with any provider through &NewMe, we check four things for you:

• The hospital is licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Health and authorised for international patients
• Complication insurance: required by Turkish law for international surgical patients and included by most providers - on the NewMe Comfort package it is Demir Sağlık cover you can extend before surgery (check your quote for limits and the first-days exclusion)
• You get the price and refund rules in writing before you pay
• The surgeon who operates on you is named in your quote

Your surgeon reviews your medical history before anything is confirmed, and will say no if surgery is not safe for you. After you are home, you can reach us any time and we coordinate with your surgeon.

Doing nothing has risks too: diabetes, heart disease and joint damage get worse with time.

Visa: New Zealand ordinary passport holders do not need a visa or e-Visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days (Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Passport: it must be valid for at least 60 days beyond your stay (the Ministry advises 6 months from arrival to be safe). Transit stops have their own rules - check the airline for your route.

Flight: Auckland to Istanbul takes about 21-23 hours, usually with one stop (often Dubai or Singapore). Recent patients paid about NZ$2,400-3,600 return - booking early helps.

How long you stay: Providers typically require at least 2 nights in hospital and at least 1 night in a hotel before you fly home. The exact length depends on the provider and package - your written quote shows it. You fly home once your surgeon confirms you are fit to fly.

• Medication: keep your regular medicines in your hand luggage, in their original packaging, with your prescription or a GP letter.
• Airport assistance: ask your airline for wheelchair or walking assistance when you book - useful on the way home.
• Phone: set up a travel eSIM before you leave so WhatsApp works as soon as you land - your driver and coordinator reach you there.

Bringing a partner, friend or whānau member? On the NewMe Comfort package (and most full packages on &NewMe) one companion stays free - in your hospital room and at the hotel, with meals. They only pay for their own flight (and any extra nights you add). Check your quote.

The extras below are not part of the package price. Your coordinator confirms what is available and the price in writing - there is nothing to buy online.

• Extra hotel nights: if you want more time to rest, or your surgeon advises a longer stay.
• Tours: Istanbul tours, such as a full-day highlights tour or a Bosphorus cruise, and a day trip to Gallipoli and the ANZAC sites. Plan them before surgery or for your companion - after surgery, rest comes first.
• Çinili Hamam: a restored 16th-century Ottoman bath by Mimar Sinan - before your surgery, or for your companion only.

Your NZ GP stays your main doctor at home. We recommend a GP visit about 2 weeks after you are back, and blood tests at about 3, 6 and 12 months, then at least once a year (B12, iron, folate, vitamin D, calcium).

On the full package, a bariatric dietitian guides you from liquids to normal food for 12 months, and our AI support assistant - trained by the dietitian - answers questions 24/7. Your surgeon gives you a discharge summary and follow-up plan in English, and we help your GP and your surgeon talk if needed.

Vitamins: a daily A-Z multivitamin and mineral for life, plus vitamin B12, calcium with vitamin D, and iron if needed - your dietitian sets the doses. Plan blood tests at about 3, 6 and 12 months, then at least once a year for life with your GP (BOMSS 2020).

Exercise: walk from day 1 and a little more each day; no heavy lifting or tummy exercises for about 6 weeks; swim once wounds have healed; gentle gym cardio often from about 4 weeks and weights from about 6 weeks, when your surgeon agrees. Long term: 150+ minutes of activity a week plus strength training. General guidance - your surgeon and dietitian give you your own plan.

In an emergency, call 111 first. Go to the emergency department if you have chest pain or trouble breathing, a fast heartbeat with fever, severe or worsening tummy or shoulder pain, you cannot keep fluids down, or a calf is swollen and painful. Tell them you had a sleeve gastrectomy and when. Not sure? Call Healthline on 0800 611 116 (free, 24/7).

Then message your coordinator on WhatsApp - day or night. On &NewMe packages we:

• ask your surgeon to review your symptoms and advise you and your doctors
• send your English discharge summary and operation notes to whoever is treating you
• help you find the right care locally - your GP, a public hospital or a private clinic
• start the complication insurance claim with you if your policy covers it - keep medical reports and original invoices

For anything that is not urgent - eating, vitamins, wound questions - your dietitian and coordinator answer on WhatsApp, and your GP stays your doctor at home.

How much does a gastric sleeve in Turkey cost for New Zealanders?

The NewMe Comfort full package is NZ$5,490, including surgery with Prof. Dr. Toygar Toydemir, 3 nights in hospital, 1 hotel night, transfers, medication, protein and dietitian support. Flights and travel insurance are extra. Private surgery in New Zealand costs about NZ$19,150-24,000.

Can I use KiwiSaver?

Many New Zealanders have, on hardship grounds (the cost of medical treatment), with a GP letter. Approval is not guaranteed - see our KiwiSaver guide. Tell the provider before you pay that you are applying. Deposit, refund and package terms are set by the provider: NewMe Comfort pricing and refunds · patient service agreement.

Is it safe?

Surgery always has some risk, wherever it is done. It is safest with an experienced bariatric surgeon in a licensed hospital, after proper pre-op checks and with follow-up at home - which is what we check before you book.

How long do I need to stay in Turkey?

Providers typically require at least 2 nights in hospital and at least 1 night in a hotel before you fly home. The exact length depends on the provider and package - your written quote shows it. The full package has 3 nights in hospital and 1 in a hotel. With the flights, plan about a week away.

Will my NZ GP support me after surgery?

Your GP stays your doctor at home - tell them before you go. Bring your English discharge summary and follow-up plan; we can help your GP and surgeon talk.

I am on the public waiting list - should I still consider Turkey?

That is your decision. Public lists are often years long and not everyone referred qualifies, so many people choose to go privately rather than wait.

Is complication insurance included?

Yes, on most full packages - Turkish law requires it for international patients. On the NewMe Comfort package, for example, complication insurance from Demir Sağlık ve Hayat Sigorta is included: its Essential plan covers up to about NZ$5,010 (€2,500) for treating a complication in Turkey, for 6 months, but not in the first 7 days after surgery or discharge. You can extend it before surgery: Plus (+NZ$200 / €99) raises cover to about NZ$10,020 (€5,000) and adds up to about NZ$1,000 (€500) for treatment at home, plus a return flight (up to about NZ$1,000) and hotel (up to about NZ$2,000) if you need to come back; Premium (+NZ$260 / €129) is Plus with cover from day 1. Other providers' policies differ - check your quote.

No plan covers the original surgery, malpractice claims, rehabilitation, conditions unrelated to the surgery, or anything after 6 months; further treatment is normally at the same hospital unless the insurer agrees otherwise. Travel insurance is separate - tell your insurer about the surgery.