How a Sleeve Gastrectomy Works
How a sleeve gastrectomy works to help you lose weight
During this procedure, a thin vertical sleeve of stomach is created using a stapling device, and the rest of the stomach is removed. The sleeve is about the size of a banana. This procedure limits the amount of food you can eat and helps you feel full sooner. It allows for normal digestion and absorption. Food consumed passes through the digestive tract in the usual order, allowing it to be fully absorbed in the body.
The sleeve gastrectomy procedure
The majority of weight loss sleeve gastrectomies performed today use a laparoscopic technique, which is considered minimally invasive. Laparoscopic surgery usually results in a shorter hospital stay, faster recovery, smaller scars, and less pain than open surgical procedures.
The length of time of the surgery varies. One study found that the average operative time was 1.5 to 3.5 hours and the average hospital stay was 2 to 5 days.14 Patients usually return to normal activities in 2 weeks and are fully recovered in 3 weeks.24
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy can be the first step before gastric bypass or it can be a single procedure for weight loss. If a sleeve gastrectomy is used as part of a two-step procedure, the first step is for the surgeon to create the small stomach "sleeve." After a period of time determined by the surgeon, another procedure would be done in which the surgeon attaches a section of the small intestine directly to the stomach pouch. This allows food to bypass a portion of the small intestine. Doing so enables your body to absorb fewer calories, in addition to consuming less food. This two-step procedure may be done because patients may not be able to tolerate both procedures during a single operation. Studies show that the two-step procedure has been used successfully in patients with a body mass index greater than 50 or in high-risk patients.27
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Learn more about sleeve gastrectomy at an information seminar
If you're considering sleeve gastrectomy surgery, we encourage you to attend a weight loss surgery information seminar hosted by a REALIZE trained surgeon at a bariatric clinic that offers sleeve gastrectomy. You'll learn about surgical options, you'll meet bariatric team members who will support you before and long after your surgery, and you may also hear from patients who have had weight loss surgery. There's no pressure to make a commitment—and no better way to get surgical weight loss information. Of course, family and friends are welcome, too.
Use our seminar finder to locate a seminar in your area, and register to ensure that you have a seat because seminars often fill up.
Want to talk it over? We're ready to help. Call us at 1-855-2-REALIZE if you have questions or concerns or want help finding a seminar near you.
