It is of great significance to establish a numerical model of flow-sediment transport and riverbed deformation in the sharp bends to provide technical support for the prediction of river regime in the middle Yangtze River (MYR). A two-dimensional model based on the finite volume method of element center format was established to simulate the flow-sediment transport and riverbed deformation processes in the sharp bends, considering the effects of river regulation projects and secondary flow. The improved model was applied to the Jianli-Chenglingji sub-reach of the MYR. The results indicated that: (ⅰ) when considering the influence of regulation projects, the nodes were marked with codes for the area protected by revetment works, which cannot be scoured in the calculation, and the diffusion stress term was calculated to consider the effect of secondary flow on the transverse distribution of depth-averaged flow velocity; (ⅱ) the model was calibrated and verified based on the measurements of flow, sediment and topographic data of the Jianli-Chenglingji reach in 2014 and 2018, respectively, and the results indicated that the NSEs of section-averaged water level at Guangxingzhou were more than 0.97, and other hydrological parameters of depth, depth-averaged flow velocity and sediment concentration at several cross-sections were in agreement with the measured data. Therefore, the improved model can accurately simulate the flow-sediment transport process in the sharp bend; (ⅲ) the mainstream line was located near the inner bank upstream of the bend apex, and shifted towards the outer bank downstream of the bend apex in the sharp bends of Qigongling (QGL) and Guanyinzhou (GYZ), which was more delayed than the shift process of mainstream line in the sharp bends reported in previous studies. Flow recirculation zones can be observed near the outer bank upstream of the bend apex and near the inner bank downstream of the bend apex of GYZ bend. The depth-averaged sediment concentration near the inner bank was higher than outer bank in the QGL and GYZ bends, and the riverbed deformation was characterized by erosion of inner bank and deposition of outer bank.