Sleeve Gastrectomy guide, or gastric sleeve, for patients seeking excellent weight loss results in a straightforward procedure that doesn’t require the maintenance and long-term complication rates of a Lap Band.
Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric sleeve surgery) removes about 80% of the stomach. This procedure combines a high weight-loss success rate with little side effects.
If you are suffering from obesity, you are risking severe health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. When obesity begins to affect your health, your doctor may decide that gastric sleeve surgery is your best treatment option.
Why Sleeve Gastrectomy
To reduce your chances of suffering from health issues, the surgeon will remove 70 to 80 percent of your stomach and reconstruct it into a thin tube shape.
The reduced size of your stomach will restrict your food intake, and the removal of excess stomach tissue will reduce your Ghrelin hormone production to minimize your hunger.
With gastric sleeve surgery comes several advantages, such as a 30 to 60 percent weight loss within a year of the procedure. Because gastric sleeve surgery is less invasive than undergoing gastric bypass surgery, you won’t have to worry about the alteration or disconnection of your intestines, the risk of suffering from “dumping syndrome,” and the insertion of a foreign device in your body.
You will also be able to stick to a less-restrictive dietary guide after surgery. If you suffer from extreme obesity, a surgeon can perform gastric sleeve surgery laparoscopically.
Surgery Preparation
Before you undergo gastric sleeve surgery, your doctor will perform a physical exam and blood tests to determine your current health.
Nutritional counseling will help prepare you for the necessary dietary changes you will need to implement after the procedure.
If you smoke, your doctor will require you to stop smoking several weeks beforehand. Smoking will slow down your healing time and may cause other health issues after surgery.
You also may need to stop taking ibuprofen, aspirin, and blood-thinning drugs before surgery. After midnight on the eve of your surgery, you should not drink or eat anything.
Recovery Time
Gastric sleeve surgery recovery time may last a few weeks. After your surgery is complete, you will need to stay in the hospital for a few days.
For the first few days, you will be on a pureed diet. Once you have been released, you will need to practice healthy dietary habits by eating small meals and chewing slowly.
You should avoid hard-to-eat, sugary, and fatty foods to stop unpleasant cramping and nausea. Your doctor can help you determine what foods will suit your new dietary lifestyle.
Getting on the right supplements, such as iron, a multivitamin, and vitamin B12, may help you obtain the necessary nutrients your body needs.