Bariatric surgeryItaly5 min read
Did Siria Pingo have weight-loss surgery? Yes, a sleeve gastrectomy
In summer 2024 Siria Pingo, one of the best-known contestants of that year’s Temptation Island in Italy, answered her followers’ most frequent question: how she had lost so much weight. Her answer on Instagram was a sleeve gastrectomy in September 2022. Below is what she said, where it was reported, and what bariatric surgery involves for anyone considering it 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
Profile
Siria Pingo
- Country
- Italy
- Who
- Reality TV personality
- Year of operation
- 2022
- Quote source
- Il Messaggero, 1 August 2024
On 20 September 2022 I had a sleeve gastrectomy. The best choice I could have made.
What did Siria Pingo say about her surgery?
After the show, Pingo answered questions from fans on Instagram, and the Rome daily Il Messaggero reported her answer on 1 August 2024. Many of the questions were about her weight loss: “How did you manage to lose so much weight?” She replied with a video of herself in 2022, before the weight loss, and wrote: “On 20 September 2022 I had a sleeve gastrectomy. The best choice I could have made.” The headline of the report quoted her: “I lost 85 kg.”
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WhatsAppOn Temptation Island she had spoken about feeling invisible to her partner, Matteo Vitali, and the couple left the programme together. Her answer to fans did not go into the medical details of the operation.
That is all this article relies on. Pingo named the type of surgery and its date; she did not describe her preparation, her diet afterwards or where she was treated, and we do not guess. Where the text below explains the procedure and recovery, it describes sleeve gastrectomy and bariatric surgery in general, not her treatment.
Why her openness matters
Weight-loss surgery is still often kept quiet, and large weight loss is frequently explained only by diet and sport. Pingo was asked directly and answered directly, with a date and the name of the operation, and called it the best choice she could have made. For people living with obesity, that kind of plain answer is more useful than any vague story.
More on this topic: Bariatric surgery with support all the way to your result, Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y), Mini Gastric Bypass (MGB), Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery in Benoni, Gastric Sleeve and Bypass in Harare.
It is also a reminder that the visible result came almost two years after the operation. Bariatric surgery is a tool that works over months and years together with new eating habits, not an instant change. Nothing here comments on her appearance; the point is that she spoke about a medical decision without shame.
Bariatric surgery abroad: choose a city and clinic
Prices, the clinic and a free online consultation for each city:
How bariatric surgery works today
Modern bariatric operations are laparoscopic: the surgeon works through about four small punctures of 5–15 mm rather than a large incision. The most common options today are:
- Sleeve gastrectomy — most of the stomach is removed and a narrow “sleeve” remains, so smaller portions bring a feeling of fullness. It cannot be reversed.
- Roux-en-Y gastric bypass — a small stomach pouch is created and connected directly to the small intestine.
- Mini gastric bypass (one-anastomosis) and SADI-S — used for specific situations, including a very high BMI.
What changes
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- Stomach volume is reduced
- Gastric bypass
- Small pouch plus a bypass of part of the intestine
Typical candidate
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- BMI about 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%
Vitamins afterwards
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- As prescribed by the doctor
- Gastric bypass
- Lifelong vitamins and minerals
Price at City Medical Centre
- Sleeve gastrectomy
- $3,600
- Gastric bypass
- $4,000
The procedure that fits best is decided at a consultation, based on weight, health and medical history, not from a celebrity story.
Who is a candidate and how to prepare
Surgery is usually considered with a BMI above 40, or above 35 together with serious weight-related conditions; sometimes the threshold is lower if non-surgical methods have not worked. Preparation typically includes:
- blood and urine tests, biochemistry, HbA1c and a coagulation panel;
- consultations with a GP, endocrinologist, psychiatrist, cardiologist and, for women, a gynaecologist;
- cutting fast carbohydrates and fats 2–4 weeks before surgery;
- stopping smoking at least a month before.
Recovery and the first months
Patients usually get up and walk on the first day and stay in hospital for 1 to 5 days. Office work is typically possible after 2–4 weeks, physical work after about a month and a half. The diet moves in stages over 1–2 months, from liquids to soft food and then to ordinary meals in small portions.
Swimming is allowed after about 30 days, and travel is best planned no earlier than a month after the operation. On average about 10% of excess weight is lost each month at first, and weight settles over 1.5–2 years, which matches the timescale of her answer. Vitamins are taken as the doctor prescribes.
How recovery after bariatric surgery usually goes
- Day of surgeryLaparoscopic operation through a few small punctures under general anaesthesia.
- Day 1You get out of bed and walk; only clear liquids are allowed.
- Days 1–5Discharge from hospital, depending on the procedure and how you recover.
- Weeks 2–4Office work resumes; the diet moves from liquids to purées and soft food.
- Months 1–2Ordinary food returns in small portions; swimming and travel are allowed.
- Months 18–24Weight settles and the final result is assessed.
Bariatric surgery at City Medical Centre
City Medical Centre performs sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass and SADI-S for international patients. The first consultation with the surgeon is free and can be held online. Current prices start at $3,600 for a sleeve gastrectomy and $4,000 for a gastric bypass; the final cost is named after the consultation and fixed in the contract. The team follows patients during the first year after surgery. More details are on the bariatric surgery page.
To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Siria Pingo or her treatment. Her story is simply a well-known example of a woman who spoke openly about the operation.
Frequently asked questions
When did Siria Pingo have her sleeve gastrectomy?
She said she had the operation on 20 September 2022. Il Messaggero reported her Instagram answer on 1 August 2024.
How much weight did Siria Pingo lose?
The report quoted her as saying she lost 85 kg. She described the operation as the best choice she could have made.
What is a sleeve gastrectomy?
A laparoscopic operation in which most of the stomach is removed, leaving a narrow tube. Smaller portions bring fullness sooner. The removed part cannot be restored.
How long does recovery take?
Most patients stay 1–5 days in hospital, return to office work after 2–4 weeks and move to ordinary food in small portions over 1–2 months. Weight settles over 1.5–2 years.
How much does bariatric surgery cost at City Medical Centre?
Sleeve gastrectomy costs $3,600 and gastric bypass $4,000. The final price is named after the free consultation and fixed in the contract.
Sources
What the article says about the celebrity is based only on these public statements.
- Il Messaggero, 1 August 2024
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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