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How can Sleeve gastrectomy help you?

Sleeve gastrectomy, also known as gastric sleeve surgery or vertical sleeve gastrectomy, is one of the most popular bariatric surgeries. This procedure essentially makes you feel fuller and more satisfied with less food, eliminating the desire to eat more, which, in turn, leads to sustainable weight loss. Brand Surgical Institute is led by experts who use the latest and safest surgical techniques for your sleeve gastrectomy, ensuring safe, consistent, and reliable results without unwanted complications.

How does sleeve gastrectomy work?

Sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of your stomach. The surgeon makes small incisions in the upper abdomen and removes most of the left part of the stomach, turning the stomach into a narrow tube called a sleeve. This procedure doesn’t change your digestive system — your intestines and stomach continue working like normal. But your stomach feels completely full and satisfied after eating much less, so you don’t feel compelled to eat more.

Besides reducing the size of the stomach, this procedure also regulates the production of the hunger hormone. The stomach produces a hormone called ghrelin — the hunger hormone — that makes you feel hungry and eat more food. This procedure removes the part of the stomach that produces the ghrelin hormone so you don’t suffer from hunger pangs. In addition to lowering the volume of food you need, this procedure also addresses the psychological motivations for eating food.

Benefits of sleeve gastrectomy:

  • Fairly simple surgical procedure to reduce the stomach size
  • Lower risk of complications than gastric bypass
  • Faster recovery than gastric bypass
  • Reduces stomach size by 70% to 80%
  • Reduces the risk of complications caused by vitamin deficiencies
  • Reduces the production of the hunger hormones
  • Feel full and satisfied after eating significantly less food
  • Doesn’t involve foreign implants that can cause complications
  • No risk of dumping syndrome, so you can eat your favorite foods

Gastric bypass surgery vs. sleeve gastrectomy

Sleeve gastrectomy is often compared to gastric bypass surgery, which is widely considered the gold standard of bariatric surgeries. Some patients prefer sleeve gastrectomy over gastric bypass surgery for two important reasons — dumping syndrome and vitamin deficiencies.

Dumping syndrome is a common side effect of gastric bypass surgery. After gastric bypass surgery, if you eat high-calorie foods, you experience significant abdominal pain, stomachaches, and diarrhea. The unpleasant symptoms are a natural check on your eating habits, preventing you from eating foods that will negatively affect your weight loss goals. But it also prevents you from eating your favorite foods. Sleeve gastrectomy doesn’t lead to dumping syndrome.

Gastric bypass surgery involves reducing the size of the intensities so your body absorbs fewer calories from the consumed foods. But reducing calorie absorption also reduces the nutrients absorbed by your body, which can lead to the complications of vitamin deficiencies. Patients undergoing a gastric bypass must consume oral supplements of iron, calcium, and vitamins. Sleeve gastrectomy doesn’t change the gastrointestinal tract, so you don’t have to worry about vitamin deficiencies.

Drawbacks of sleeve gastrectomy:

  • Higher risk of complications than gastric banding
  • Irreversible procedure — your stomach will be permanently reduced

You are the ideal candidate for sleeve gastrectomy if:

  • You have a BMI of or more than 40, i.e., you’re more than 100 pounds overweight.
  • You have a BMI of or more than 35 and one or more obesity-related co-morbidities, such as respiratory disorders, sleep apnea, heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, etc.
  • You have not been able to sustain weight loss through natural weight loss efforts.
  • You want a rapid and permanent solution to weight loss.

FAQ

What happens during sleeve gastrectomy?

Brand Surgical Institute performs sleeve gastrectomy using the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS). After administering general anesthesia, the surgeon makes one incision in the belly button, through which they remove approximately 75% of the stomach, turning it into a small tube or sleeve. The surgeon doesn’t cut through the stomach muscle or create multiple incisions, so the recovery period is minimal. The procedure usually concludes within an hour.

What is recovery like after a sleeve gastrectomy?

You must take one or two weeks off work after your sleeve gastrectomy. Once you return to work, you may feel tired and need to take some half days at work, according to your surgeon’s instructions. You may experience soreness and discomfort, but there are no major side effects or risks because we don’t cut through the muscles or create multiple large incisions. You can resume eating solid foods and engage in strenuous workouts after 4 to 6 weeks.

What are the results of sleeve gastrectomy?

Most patients lose over 60% of excess weight after the sleeve gastrectomy procedure. If you watch your diet and engage in regular physical activities, you can lose even more weight. Even though your stomach will be reduced, you should still avoid overeating after the surgery because the stomach tissues are stretchable. You may reach a point wherein you plateau in your weight loss efforts, following which you can add more exercise to your weight loss plan to continue seeing results.

Can I get pregnant after sleeve gastrectomy?

You can still get pregnant after a sleeve gastrectomy. In fact, you will likely be more fertile and in a healthier shape for pregnancy after losing weight. But you must wait at least 12 to 18 months after your bariatric surgery before attempting pregnancy.

Schedule a consultation for your sleeve gastrectomy in Glendale, CA

Brand Surgical Institute is the first woman-owned ambulatory surgical center specializing in bariatric surgeries in Glendale. Our surgical experts leverage their skills and years of experience to curate personalized sleeve gastrectomy procedures, ensuring safe and consistent results. We guide you through every aspect of the surgical journey, from the initial consultation to the final results. We also educate you and inculcate positive dietary habits. Please schedule an appointment to explore your sleeve gastrectomy options in Glendale.

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