Sleeve gastrectomy a unique option in weight-loss surgery

Some patients seeking a surgical solution to weight loss have another alternative to consider now offered at the St. Francis Weight Loss Center.

It’s called the sleeve gastrectomy, an operation that removes part of the stomach and resizes it roughly to the shape and size of a banana. The smaller stomach helps patients become full faster when eating and decreases the appetite sensation.

The sleeve gastrectomy does not involve any "rerouting" or reconnecting of the intestines and is a simpler operation than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. Unlike the Lap-Band, the sleeve gastrectomy does not require the implantation of an artificial device inside the abdomen. It can be done laporascopically, and discharge from the hospital occurs within one day.

Sleeve gastretcomies are recognized as a first and single procedure for weight loss because it can achieve more than 50 percent excess weight loss in as little as 18 months.

For certain patients, in particular those with a body mass index greater than 60, the sleeve gastrectomy may be the first part of a two-stage operation. Patients may safely lose up to 100 to 150 pounds in a six to 12 month period, at which point the weight loss may plateau and other procedures such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery become less risky.

Both stages of the surgery can be performed laparoscopically and offers the advantages of shorter recovery time, shorter incisions, fewer incision-related problems and less pain.
Learn more about the sleeve gastrectomy.