A PORT Glasgow woman who travelled to Turkey for a stomach operation said she wants to reduce the stigma around overseas surgeries by telling her positive story. 

Sophie-Louise Bradley, 26, had a gastric sleeve procedure at Gözde International Hospital in Izmir, in September last year.

Sophie, who had the operation for health reasons, said the surgery has 'completely changed her life'.

She added: "I'm really positive about my journey.

"I always tell people the truth about it.

"There are some really positive stories out there that you don't get to hear."

Sophie started thinking seriously about the operation at the start of 2022. 

She said: "I was overweight and had been overweight my entire life. 

"I did Slimming World and Weight Watchers but nothing was working for me at all.

"Doctors referred me to dieticians and I would lose a bit of weight but put it all back on again."

Sophie learned she had diabetes and high blood pressure and a high BMI and managed to get onto the NHS waiting list. 

Greenock Telegraph:

But when she was told she could be waiting five years for the operation, she decided to look at other options. 

Sophie added: "I would be 30 by the time I had the operation. 

"I wanted to try for another baby and obviously wanted a healthy pregnancy. 

"I didn't want to wait that long."

Sophie started researching gastric sleeve operations abroad and found Gözde International Hospital. 

She spoke to the surgeon and made sure she had all the information she needed before making the decision to go ahead and have the operation in Turkey.

The Port Glasgow woman said she did receive a lot of backlash from people when she told them about her plans. 

She added: "Some people said I was being selfish and said I could die out there. 

"It's just like any other type of surgery. 

"You could go in to have your appendix out and something could happen. 

"Every surgery comes with risks."

Greenock Telegraph:

Sophie invested £3,300 in the operation which said would have been £10,000 at the very least if done privately in Scotland. 

In the six-hour procedure, the surgeon cut away 80 per cent of Sophie's stomach. 

She added: "The surgery is drastic and I understand why it scares a lot of people. 

"I felt like I had been hit by a bus after it. 

"It's non-reversible so my stomach will be like this for the rest of my life.

"It's keyhole abdominal surgery but it's very similar to a C-section in terms of recovery."

Sophie, who is married to Glenn and has a wee girl, Jacqueline, said the care she received from the staff was incredible. 

Sophie added: "As soon as you tell people you're going to Turkey for an operation they think you're going to some sort of back alley hospital 

"The hospital was so clean.

"The nurses didn't speak a lot of English but we got through it, they were really good."

Just a few days later, Sophie was recovering back at home. 

Before the op, Sophie was 17 stone 1lbs, and she's now 12 stone 3lbs, a drop of almost five stone in nine months. 

Greenock Telegraph:

The young mum said the sleeve isn't a miracle cure but a 'tool' for people to work with. 

Sophie added: "It puts you into a calorie deficit and you're really restricted in terms of what you can eat. 

"I've reversed my diabetes and lowered my blood pressure. 

"I didn't do this to 'get skinny' - I did it for the good of my health. 

"You have to really work at it to maintain it."