Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı — Bariatric Surgeon in Izmir
Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı is a general surgeon who has worked exclusively in obesity and metabolic surgery since 2014. More than 5,000 procedures, over 20 years in the operating theatre, and one consistent rule: patients stay in hospital until discharge.
This page answers the question that comes before every operation abroad — who is actually going to operate on me? Training, technique, accreditation, aftercare. No agency, no call centre. You speak to the surgeon who performs your surgery.
Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı · Obesity and Metabolic Surgery · Izmir, Turkey
Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı, bariatric surgeon · Updated October 2026
Background
Who operates on you? The path of Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı
When surgery happens abroad, one question decides everything else: who is standing at the table? Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı is a general surgeon who has worked in obesity and metabolic surgery only since 2014. No side business, no parallel cosmetic surgery arm.
- 1976Born in Turkey.
- MedicineÇapa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University — one of the oldest medical schools in the country.
- 2006Completed specialist training in General Surgery at Ege University, Izmir.
- 2006–2014Compulsory service and posts at several Turkish state hospitals, with a focus on laparoscopic surgery.
- since 2014Obesity and metabolic surgery exclusively. Today more than 5,000 procedures performed.
- todayMember of IFSO, the world federation for bariatric surgery.
That order matters. The laparoscopic routine came first and the specialisation second, not the other way round. Volkan Arayıcı spent eight years on open and keyhole surgery before narrowing down to one field — which is also why he takes on revisions that other surgeons decline.
Procedures
What Volkan Arayıcı actually operates
Four procedures, plus revision of previously operated patients. Which one applies is not decided by preference but by BMI, comorbidities, reflux and surgical history — and Volkan Arayıcı assesses that himself, not a coordinator.
Gastric sleeve
The most common operation. Around 80% of the stomach is removed and the rest shaped into a narrow tube. Full detail on gastric sleeve surgery price.
from £3,000
Gastric bypass
Often the better option with severe reflux or type 2 diabetes. See gastric bypass Turkey.
from £3,500
Revision surgery
Second operation after weight regain or a complication — technically the hardest part of the field. See gastric revision surgery.
from £3,500
Gastric balloon
Endoscopic, no incision, no overnight stay — for a lower BMI or as preparation. Figures on gastric balloon Turkey.
from £1,200
Technique
How the operation is actually performed
Anyone searching for an »experienced bariatric surgeon turkey« really wants to know one thing: is the work careful or is it fast? So here is the technique in plain terms rather than marketing language.
- 45 to 75 minutes, laparoscopic, through four small ports.
- The staple line is oversewn in every single case with an inverting suture. That is extra time in theatre that not every clinic spends.
- Leak testing happens during the operation, not the next morning.
- Leaks are rare: a staple line leak is uncommon. That is exactly why you stay four nights in hospital — where such a case is recognised and treated straight away.
- No pre-op liver diet. The two to four week liver shrinking diet that many clinics require is not used here.
If you want the numbers behind that — complication rates, what can go wrong — they are set out under how safe gastric sleeve surgery in Turkey is.
After surgery
Four nights in hospital — not a hotel
This is where offers differ most, and it rarely appears in the brochure. Some cheaper providers move patients to a hotel the day after surgery. That cuts cost — and it moves the exact window in which a staple line leak would show itself out of the hospital.
Discharged to a hotel after 24 hours. During the critical 48 to 72 hours there is no doctor in the building.
Four nights in hospital until medical discharge. Continuous monitoring, no hotel transfer.
The total stay in Turkey is five days. On arrival day the transfer takes you straight to hospital, where only blood tests are done. The next morning brings ultrasound, an echocardiogram and clearance from cardiology, pulmonology and anaesthesia — surgery follows around midday. After four nights in hospital you go straight to the airport on day five.
A companion can stay in the same hospital room. An interpreter is included in the package.
Steph, a UK patient, wrote on Trustpilot that the pre-operative tests were "a lot more than any other operation I've had in the uk" — that is the same principle applied before surgery rather than after.
Accreditation
IFSO member surgeon Turkey: what that actually means
The phrase »IFSO member surgeon turkey« appears on a lot of clinic websites. In concrete terms it means the surgeon belongs to the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders — the global body of the speciality, which sets the guidelines and quality standards for bariatric procedures.
| IFSO | Membership of the world federation for obesity surgery |
|---|---|
| JCI | Joint Commission International — accreditation of the operating hospital |
| TEMOS | International certification for the care of international patients |
| Ministry of Health | Official authorisation to treat international patients |
Surgery takes place at a JCI- and TEMOS-accredited hospital in Izmir. Which criteria genuinely matter when comparing providers is broken down on best gastric sleeve clinic in Turkey.
Transparency
What the price includes — and what it does not
One sentence that belongs on this page because it is missing elsewhere: flights are not included. Everything from the moment you land in Izmir is — transfer, pre-operative tests, surgery, four nights in hospital, medication and aftercare.
Included
VIP airport transfer, bloods, ultrasound and echocardiogram, clearance from cardiology, pulmonology and anaesthesia, the operation, four nights in hospital, medication, interpreter, twelve months of aftercare.
Not included
Flight tickets. Costs for a companion by arrangement — a companion can stay in the room.
Payment
Cash on the day of surgery. No deposit, no instalments. If a complication occurs in Izmir, it carries no additional cost. If you need to come back to Izmir for it after returning home, treatment is free — only the flight is yours.
The mini bypass is offered at the same price as the classic bypass — details on mini gastric bypass in Turkey.
Free assessment · usually answered the same day
Send your details to Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı
Send your height, weight and age. Dr. Arayıcı reviews every enquiry himself and tells you in writing which procedure fits and the fixed price – before you book anything.
- Gastric sleeve from £3,000, gastric bypass from £3,500 – all inclusive except flights
- Four nights in hospital until discharge, no hotel
- No deposit – you pay on the day of surgery
Prefer WhatsApp? Message +90 532 466 67 67 – Dr. Arayıcı replies himself.
Location
Obesity surgeon Izmir: clinic, hospital and getting there
Searching for a »bariatric surgeon izmir« online usually lands you on aggregator directories with no named operating surgeon behind them. Here it works the other way round: two fixed addresses with two clearly separated functions. Consultations take place at the clinic in Güzelbahçe; surgery is performed at a JCI- and TEMOS-accredited hospital in Izmir. From Izmir Adnan Menderes airport a VIP transfer takes you straight to the hospital — no detour via a hotel.
- Clinic: Yelki Mahallesi, 2482 Sokak No:2 Daire:4, Güzelbahçe / Izmir
- Surgery: JCI- and TEMOS-accredited hospital in Izmir
- Airport: Izmir Adnan Menderes (ADB), VIP transfer straight to the hospital
Care is delivered in English, German and Turkish, and an interpreter is included in the package. As an obesity surgeon Izmir based, Volkan Arayıcı treats mainly patients travelling from the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria — language is never a barrier to understanding your operation, your risks or your recovery plan. Enquiries go through contact the bariatric surgeon in Turkey.
Aftercare
Twelve months of follow-up — included
The operation takes about an hour. The year that follows decides the result. Every procedure therefore includes twelve months of structured aftercare by video call and WhatsApp, with direct access to Volkan Arayıcı rather than to a call centre.
That covers the diet stages — fifteen days liquid, fifteen days soft, solid food from the second month — and it covers the uncomfortable topics too: weight stalls, hair shedding between months three and six, and nutrient checks.
Lena, an Austrian patient, described the WhatsApp group for past and current patients as "very re-assuring for this high anxiety lady". Joining it is optional, and Volkan Arayıcı is in the group himself.
If you gained weight back after an earlier operation, the approach is set out under gastric band revision in Turkey.
Patient voices
What patients say — in their own words
The quotes below are unedited, spelling included, from Trustpilot — 174 reviews there, averaging 4.8 out of 5. Short films answer the questions UK patients ask most: the gastric sleeve cost video, the gastric sleeve safety video, why is gastric sleeve so cheap in Turkey and weight loss jab or surgery.
„The main part I really appreciated was the tests they did before my operation. I've had many operations since I was a kid and the tests before this op was a lot more than any other operation I've had in the uk.“
Steph · UK · May 2024 · Trustpilot
„Fantastic communication beforehand with his Team via WhatsApp! Nice WhatsApp group for previous and curren clients to exchange experiences and questions… Very re-assuring for this high anxiety lady.“
Lena · Austria · Oct 2024 · Trustpilot
„17 months post op and I've lost 9st.“
Nicola Littlemore · UK · May 2024 · Trustpilot
Josie on her gastric sleeve surgery
Filmed in the clinic garden with a hospital wristband still on, Josie talks through the days before and after her operation.
Watch on YouTube · 4:00 minutes · in English
Sliviya, 75, on her surgery in Izmir
Age alone is not a contraindication. Sliviya was operated on at 75 and describes the experience sitting outside the hospital café with a friend.
Watch on YouTube · 2:29 minutes · in English
More accounts, including the critical ones, are collected on gastric sleeve Turkey experiences in Izmir.
In the media
Press and professional visibility
In 2014 the Turkish daily Habertürk reported on a case operated by Volkan Arayıcı — a trichobezoar, a rare mass of swallowed hair in the stomach that had to be removed surgically. Cases like that are not part of the everyday practice of Volkan Arayıcı, but they say something about the general surgical base the specialisation was built on.
Day-to-day work from the clinic is posted on Instagram.
Frequently asked
Questions about Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı
How many years of experience does Volkan Arayıcı have?
Over 20 years of surgical experience, working exclusively in obesity and metabolic surgery since 2014, with more than 5,000 procedures performed.
Where did he train?
Medicine at the Çapa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, followed by specialist training in General Surgery at Ege University in Izmir, completed in 2006.
Will I actually speak to the surgeon before the operation?
Yes. Volkan Arayıcı carries out the consultation himself, before and after surgery. There is no sales team in front of him — you message Volkan Arayıcı directly.
How do I tell an experienced bariatric surgeon Turkey based from an agency?
Three checkable points. Does the website name the operating surgeon? Is the operating hospital accredited, for example by JCI? And does the patient stay in hospital until discharge rather than being moved to a hotel? A provider that will not answer those three clearly is usually an intermediary, not a clinic.
What language is the care delivered in?
English, German and Turkish — throughout, from the first enquiry to the end of the twelve-month aftercare. An interpreter is included in the package.
Where does Volkan Arayıcı operate?
At a JCI- and TEMOS-accredited hospital in Izmir. Consultations take place at his clinic in Güzelbahçe. From Izmir airport a VIP transfer takes you straight to the hospital.
How long do I need to stay in Turkey?
Five days. Blood tests only on arrival day, ultrasound, echocardiogram and clearances the next morning, surgery around midday. Then four nights in hospital and straight to the airport on day five.
Will I be moved to a hotel after surgery?
No. The stay is four nights in hospital until medical discharge. There is no hotel transfer straight after the operation.
Is a deposit required?
No. Payment is made in cash on the day of surgery. There is no deposit and there are no instalment plans.
What happens if a complication appears after I get home?
You stay in touch with Volkan Arayıcı for twelve months by video call and WhatsApp. In an acute emergency, go to A&E at home. If you come back to Izmir for treatment, it is free of charge — only the flight is yours.
Still have a question?
A written answer from the bariatric surgeon in Izmir
BMI, previous surgery, reflux or medication: send your question. The answer comes from Volkan Arayıcı himself, not from an agent.
- Gastric sleeve from £3,000, gastric bypass from £3,500 – all inclusive except flights
- Four nights in hospital until discharge, no hotel
- No deposit – you pay on the day of surgery
Prefer WhatsApp? Message +90 532 466 67 67 – Dr. Arayıcı replies himself.
Speak directly to Op. Dr. Volkan Arayıcı
No sales adviser, no call centre. Send your height, weight and age and you will get an honest assessment — including if the answer is that surgery is not the right step for you right now.
Get a free assessment on WhatsApp+90 532 466 67 67 · usually answered by Volkan Arayıcı the same day
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