Did Carolina Soto have a gastric sleeve? Yes — and she explained her reasons

She was also precise about her medical picture: “No tengo ninguna enfermedad preexistente, no tengo problemas con la insulina o algo similar” — no pre-existing illness, no insulin problems. Her body, not a diagnosis, had pushed her to the decision: “Mi cabeza se agotó. Me topé con personas que se hicieron esta operación” — her mind was exhausted, and she had met people who had had the operation. The result at three months: 22 kilos gone, clothing size from 42 to 38, and a new eating rhythm — “Estoy comiendo súper poquito pero cada tres horas”, very little but every three hours.

That is what this article relies on: her own words, quoted by the Chilean press. She did not name the clinic or the surgeon, so nothing is assumed here about her treatment. What follows describes the gastric sleeve in general.

First, bariatric surgery is not only for patients with diabetes or other serious related conditions — it is also for people whose weight problem has resisted every diet and worn them down psychologically, as she described. The assessment weighs the whole history, not one number.

Second, the operation changes the container, not the habits. Her description of eating very little every three hours is exactly what the sleeve asks for: small portions, protein first, regular rhythm. Patients who keep that rhythm keep the result; those who return to old patterns can regain weight.

Which option fits depends on weight history, related conditions and eating patterns — a decision made at a consultation, not from a celebrity story.

• Before the operation: cut fast carbohydrates and fats for two to four weeks and stop smoking a month before.
• Plan the first year: the surgical team follows the patient through the months of change — the follow-up is part of the treatment.

Food returns in stages — liquids, then soft food, then solids — over one to two months, and swimming is possible after about thirty days.

The final result is assessed over one and a half to two years. That is the honest timeline behind the twenty-two kilos Carolina Soto reported in her first three months — the fastest phase, which then settles into a slower, steadier curve.

More details are on the bariatric surgery page and the page for patients from Santiago.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Carolina Soto or her treatment. Her story is quoted here only because she chose to talk about her operation openly.