Bariatric surgeryColombia4 min read
Did Karola Alcendra have bariatric surgery? Yes, days after the operation she said so herself
Karola Alcendra, the Colombian content creator and streamer from Barranquilla, reappeared on social media only days after an operation in May 2025 and told her followers exactly what she had done: a stomach-reduction surgery. Here is what she said, as reported by Infobae Colombia, and what gastric sleeve surgery involves for anyone considering it today.
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Medically reviewed by Andrey G. Ugay, lead bariatric surgeon. Review date: .
The main points in 30 seconds
- Karola Alcendra confirmed stomach-reduction surgery days after it, in May 2025.
- She said she had already lost about 10 kilos within days of the operation.
- Sleeve gastrectomy at City Medical Centre costs $3,600, gastric bypass $4,000.
- Office work resumes in 2–4 weeks; the final result forms over 1.5–2 years.
Key facts about the procedure
- Back to work2–4 weeks
- Stay in clinic1–5 days
- Final result18–24 months
- Price
$4,800from $3,600
Profile
Karola Alcendra
- Country
- Colombia
- Who
- Content creator
- Year of operation
- 2025
- Quote source
- Infobae Colombia, 22 May 2025
What did Karola Alcendra say about her surgery?
In May 2025, only a few days after going into the operating room, Karola Alcendra showed her new figure on social media and explained what had changed it. As reported by Infobae Colombia, she said: “Me hice la reducción de estómago” (“I had my stomach reduced”). By the time she posted, she had already lost around 10 kilos and told her audience she felt and looked much better.
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WhatsAppThat is the whole of what we rely on here. Karola did not name a clinic, a surgeon or a specific technique in that statement, so this article does not guess at them. Where the text below explains methods and timelines, it describes bariatric surgery in general, not her treatment.
Why speaking up days after surgery matters
Most celebrity weight-loss stories surface months or years after the fact, once the result is finished and tidy. Karola did the opposite: she posted while she was still in the early days of recovery, with the swelling and the adjustment to a new diet still in progress.
More on this topic: Bariatric surgery with support all the way to your result, Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB), Obesity Surgery in Singapore, Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Benoni.
That is a more honest picture of what the first weeks after a bariatric operation actually look like, and it is worth remembering before comparing before-and-after photos online.
It is also a reminder that bariatric surgery is a tool, not a finish line. The weight loss she described in her first week is only the beginning of a process that, with modern operations, reaches its final shape over roughly a year and a half to two years, together with new eating habits.
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How bariatric surgery is done today
What Karola described, a reduction of the stomach, matches what is today usually called sleeve gastrectomy: most of the stomach is removed laparoscopically, leaving a narrow tube so the patient feels full sooner and absorbs fewer calories. At City Medical Centre four laparoscopic procedures are available, through four small punctures of 5–15 mm:
What the surgeon does
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Removes most of the stomach, leaving a narrow tube
- Gastric bypass
- Creates a small stomach pouch and reroutes part of the intestine
Usually considered for
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- BMI 35–45
- Gastric bypass
- BMI over 45–50, especially with type 2 diabetes
Average excess weight loss
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- 60–70%
- Gastric bypass
- 75–85%
Price at City Medical Centre
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- $3,600
- Gastric bypass
- $4,000
Mini gastric bypass and SADI-S are also performed for higher BMI cases, giving up to 80–90% excess weight loss. The right option is decided after examinations, never from a social-media post.
Who it suits, and how to prepare
Bariatric surgery is usually considered for a BMI above 40, or above 35 with serious related conditions, and sometimes lower if non-surgical approaches have not worked. Before surgery patients have blood and urine tests, biochemistry, HbA1c and a coagulation panel, and see a GP, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, cardiologist and, for women, a gynaecologist. Fast carbohydrates and fats are reduced 2–4 weeks before, and smoking is stopped a month before.
Recovery, step by step
In the first hours after surgery patients may already sit up, stand and drink fluids. The hospital stay is 1 to 5 days depending on the extent of surgery. Office work is usually possible after 2–4 weeks, physical work after about 1.5 months. For the following 1–2 months the diet moves in stages from liquids to soft food to solids.
On average about 10% of excess weight is lost each month, and the final result is reached in 1.5–2 years. The table below shows the typical stages.
How recovery after bariatric surgery usually goes
- First hoursYou may sit up, stand and drink fluids.
- Days 1–5Observation at the clinic, depending on the extent of surgery.
- Weeks 2–4Return to office work; physical work after about 1.5 months.
- Months 1–2Staged diet from liquids to soft food to solids.
- Every monthOn average about 10% of excess weight is lost.
- 1.5–2 yearsFinal result; stable eating habits keep the weight off.
Bariatric surgery at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass and SADI-S for international patients. Sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and gastric bypass $4,000. The surgeon's first consultation is free and can start online; the final plan is set after examinations and fixed in the contract, and the team follows up through the first year. More details are on the bariatric surgery page.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Karola Alcendra or her treatment. Her story is simply a recent example of someone who talked openly, within days of surgery, about weight-loss surgery.
Frequently asked questions
When did Karola Alcendra have bariatric surgery?
In May 2025. Only a few days after the operation she told her followers on social media, as reported by Infobae Colombia, that she had had her stomach reduced.
How much weight had she lost right after surgery?
By the time she posted, days after the operation, she had already lost about 10 kilos.
Is bariatric surgery finished right after the operation?
No. The first days only mark the start. With modern operations, the final result is reached in about 1.5–2 years, together with new eating habits.
How much does bariatric surgery cost at City Medical Centre?
Sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and gastric bypass $4,000. The final plan and price are fixed in the contract after examinations.
When can patients go back to work?
Office work is usually possible after 2–4 weeks, physical work after about 1.5 months.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Infobae Colombia, 22 May 2025
Medical background and further reading
General information about the procedure from health authorities and medical societies. It is not advice for any individual patient.
- PubMed / NCBI — Benefits and Risks of Bariatric Surgery in Adults: A Review (JAMA, 2020)
- PubMed / NCBI — Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy vs Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: systematic review and meta-analysis (2016)
- World Health Organization — Obesity and overweight
- American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery — Bariatric Surgery Procedures
How we prepare and review medical content · Medical disclaimer
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