About Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery is a weight loss procedure where the stomach is reduced to up to 25 percent its original size. This is done through surgical removal of a large section of the stomach and thereafter attaching the open edges together using surgical staples. This medical procedure reduces the stomach size permanently and performed laparoscopically, it is irreversible. Gastric sleeve surgery is a fairly new type of bariatric surgery and it may also be medically referred as laparoscopic sleeve surgery, tube gastrectomy, gastric sleeve resection and sleeve gastrectomy.
For extremely obese people or those people with health problems that make gastric bypass surgery impossible, the gastric sleeve procedure is the second most popular option that can help people lose weight through surgery.
Laparoscopic Weight Loss
Gastric sleeve, also referred as sleeve gastrectomy, was traditionally performed on obese patients, with body mass index that is more than 50. This was carried out in two stages: sleeve gastrectomy and the conversion into duodenal switch. After the laparoscopic sleeve surgery, the patient usually loses a large quantity of the excess weight; in the event the weight loss stops, conversion into duodenal switch is performed.
Gastric weight loss is an acceptable form of surgery as a single procedure for obese patients. Many patients prefer using bougie ranging from 32-60 Fr with this procedure. The recommended size of the stomach that should remain after the medical procedure should be around 150mL.
During the procedure, the surgeon removes a section of the stomach to take form of a sleeve or tube. The procedure is performed laparoscopically, where the bariatric surgeon does small incisions instead of large ones. The doctor uses a special camera with laparoscope and a tiny instrument into the small incision to remove the stomach section. The remaining tube-shaped lie stomach is sealed and closed using staples.
More To Know About Gastric Sleeve
In some circumstances, gastric sleeve surgery is followed by gastric bypass surgery after the person loses a certain amount of weight. This is called staged approach form surgery. The timing of gastric sleeve resection varies depending on the extent of weight loss. It is normally done within a period of 6-18 months after the first surgery.
Since it is an irreversible procedure, gastric sleeve surgery is carried out under general anesthesia and the patient will be asked to stay in hospital for recovery. This procedure is considered very safe and it is gaining acceptance and popularity due to the limited risks associated with it.
Risks and Complications
Sleeve leakage: This surgery requires stapling after the procedure, there are some instances where staples don’t hold and this will result in a leak. The leakage of stomach acids can infect the surrounding tissues leading to serious problems.
Other risks include blood clots and regaining of more weight since the stomach might stretch. Stretching of the stomach pouch can lead to in-advised dieting that might be as a result of too much eating hence resulting in stomach leakage.
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