About The Gastric Sleeve Guide

I’m Claire Maddox, and I started The Gastric Sleeve Guide after my own gastric sleeve.

For most of my adult life I fought my weight through one diet after another, each one working for a while and then unravelling, leaving me heavier and more disheartened than before. By my early forties, with a BMI in the low forties and prediabetes, my GP and I agreed it was time to look seriously at surgery.

Deciding on a sleeve was straightforward. Understanding what I was committing to was not. I found brochures and dramatic before-and-after photos, but very little that explained honestly what the operation and its risks involved, what it costs and why, and what the months afterwards are really like. I had my surgery abroad, in Thailand, which raised even more questions I struggled to find plain answers to.

So I built the resource I wish I’d had.

What this site covers

I write about the whole journey, in plain language and from real experience:

• Gastric sleeve surgery, what it is, how it works, and the risks
• Am I a candidate?, who the sleeve is and isn’t for
• What it costs and having it abroad
• Recovery, what the weeks afterwards are really like

I don’t diagnose, recommend specific clinics, or handle emergencies, and nothing here replaces the advice of your own surgical team.

How we keep it accurate

I’m a patient, not a doctor, so every article is medically reviewed by a consultant bariatric surgeon, Mr Ian Calloway, before it’s published. The lived experience is mine; the clinical facts are checked by someone qualified to check them. We cite authoritative sources such as the NHS, NICE, the ASMBS, and BOMSS, and show the publication, last-updated, and review dates on every article. See our Editorial Policy for details.

Get in touch

I’d genuinely like to hear from others considering or recovering from a sleeve. You can reach me via the Contact page. And please read our Medical Disclaimer: this site is for general education and support, not medical advice.