Bariatric surgeryFrance5 min read
Did Loana have weight-loss surgery? Yes, and she wrote about it herself
Loana became one of the most famous faces in France as the winner of the first season of “Loft Story” in 2001. In 2019 she answered questions about her weight loss and her scars directly: yes, she had a sleeve gastrectomy, after her weight had gone above 120 kilos. Here is what she said, where it was reported, and what this operation involves today.
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Medically reviewed by Andrey G. Ugay, lead bariatric surgeon. Review date: .
Key facts about the procedure
- Back to work2–4 weeks
- Stay in clinic1–5 days
- Final result18–24 months
- Price
$4,800from $3,600
YES, I had a sleeve, three years ago now. I was morbidly obese, since I was over 120 kg, and YES, I have scars from this operation, which removes two thirds of the stomach.
What did Loana say about her sleeve gastrectomy?
In August 2019 the French celebrity magazine Public reported Loana’s own words about her operation, published in response to questions about her body: “YES, I had a sleeve, three years ago now. I was morbidly obese, since I was over 120 kg, and YES, I have scars from this operation, which removes two thirds of the stomach.”
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WhatsAppShe did not present it as an easy solution. The operation, she wrote, “obliges the person for life to eat five times a day the equivalent of what a three-year-old child eats. It’s not that easy. It’s a hard battle every day, BUT one that is worth it.” The magazine noted that she was proud of the slimmer figure the operation had helped her reach.
That is all this article relies on. Loana did not name a hospital or a surgeon in these words and did not give an exact date, so we do not guess. Where the text below explains methods and recovery, it describes bariatric surgery in general, not her treatment.
Why her honesty is useful
Loana’s statement is unusually precise. She names the medical reason, morbid obesity, and the number behind it. She describes the scars instead of hiding them. And she is candid about the cost in daily life: small meals, five times a day, for good. That balance between relief and effort is exactly what bariatric surgeons try to explain before the operation.
More on this topic: Bariatric surgery with support all the way to your result, Gastric Sleeve (Sleeve Gastrectomy), Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Gastric Sleeve and Bypass in Harare, Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Pietermaritzburg.
Her phrase “a hard battle every day, but one that is worth it” sums up the reality better than any brochure. A sleeve reduces hunger and portion size, but the habits around food still have to change, and they have to stay changed. Nothing here judges anyone’s body; the interest is in what she chose to share.
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How bariatric surgery works today
Bariatric operations are performed laparoscopically, through small punctures, under general anaesthesia. The most common options are:
- Sleeve gastrectomy: a large part of the stomach is removed and a narrow tube remains, so patients feel full quickly and hunger signals drop.
- Gastric bypass: the stomach is made smaller and food is rerouted past part of the small intestine, which also changes how nutrients and calories are absorbed.
What it does
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Reduces stomach volume
- Gastric bypass
- Reduces stomach volume and reroutes food
Main goal
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Weight loss, feeling full quickly
- Gastric bypass
- Weight loss, better metabolism
When it is chosen
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Obesity without marked reflux
- Gastric bypass
- Obesity with diabetes or reflux
Anaesthesia and stay
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- General anaesthesia, 1–5 days in hospital
- Gastric bypass
- General anaesthesia, 1–5 days in hospital
Price at City Medical Centre
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- $3,600
- Gastric bypass
- $4,000
City Medical Centre also performs mini gastric bypass and SADI-S. The method is chosen from the BMI, related conditions and the patient’s goals.
Who is a candidate
Surgery is usually justified with a BMI above 40, or above 35 with serious related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea or joint disease, after earlier attempts to lose weight have failed. Contraindications include age under 18, malignant tumours, pregnancy, blood clotting disorders, severe chronic or mental illness and acute illness or flare-ups of a chronic disease.
- Be ready for a staged diet: after surgery food moves from liquid to soft to solid over 1–2 months, with a focus on protein.
- Expect small, frequent meals for life, as Loana describes.
- Plan follow-up: weight regain is unlikely when the doctor’s advice is followed and check-ups continue.
What recovery looks like
In the first hours after surgery patients may sit up, stand and drink fluids. They stay under observation for 1–5 days, depending on the extent of surgery. Office work is usually possible after 2–4 weeks, physical work after about 1.5 months, and travel is best planned no earlier than a month after the operation.
On average about 10% of excess weight is lost per month, and the final result is reached after 1.5–2 years. The small scars from the laparoscopic punctures, which Loana mentions, fade over time.
How recovery after bariatric surgery usually goes
- First hoursYou may sit up, stand and drink fluids.
- 1–5 daysObservation at the clinic, depending on the extent of surgery.
- 2–4 weeksReturn to office work; physical work after about 1.5 months.
- 1–2 monthsStaged diet from liquids to solids to let the stomach adapt.
- Every monthOn average about 10% of excess weight is lost per month.
- 1.5–2 yearsFinal result; stable eating habits keep the weight from returning.
Bariatric surgery at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass and SADI-S for international patients, including from France. The first consultation is free and can start online: a patient care manager calculates the BMI and explains the methods, then the surgeon proposes a plan and the price is fixed in the contract.
Prices are $3,600 for a sleeve gastrectomy and $4,000 for a gastric bypass, including the surgery, general anaesthesia, the inpatient stay with meals and 12 months of support. More details are on the bariatric surgery page.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Loana or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of a woman who talked openly about weight-loss surgery.
Frequently asked questions
Did Loana have a gastric sleeve?
Yes. In 2019 she wrote that she had a sleeve three years earlier, when she was morbidly obese and weighed over 120 kg. Public reported her words in August 2019.
What did Loana say about life after the operation?
She said it obliges you for life to eat five small meals a day, about what a three-year-old eats, and called it a hard battle every day, but one worth fighting.
Does a sleeve gastrectomy leave scars?
It is done laparoscopically through small punctures, so the scars are small, but there are some, as Loana said herself. They fade over time.
Who is bariatric surgery for?
Usually for people with a BMI above 40, or above 35 with serious related conditions, when other ways of losing weight have not worked. The doctor decides after a consultation.
How much does bariatric surgery cost at City Medical Centre?
A sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and a gastric bypass $4,000, including surgery, anaesthesia, the hospital stay with meals and 12 months of support.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Public (citing her own post), 20 August 2019
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
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