Best Hospitals for Sleeve Gastrectomy

Gastric sleeve procedure, also known as sleeve gastrectomy, involves surgical removal of part of a stomach. This procedure is a permanent one and intends to result in drastic weight loss in individuals suffering from morbid obesity.

During the gastric sleeve procedure, the left side of the stomach is cut and the size is reduced to just 25 percent of its original size. The resulting stomach looks like a banana-like “sleeve.”

The resulting vertical gastric sleeve limits the intake of food due to reduced production of gastric enzymes and digestive juices. You may feel full after eating small amounts of food. This is also known as a “restrictive procedure” as it restricts the amount of food that you can consume at a time. This procedure is performed laparoscopically and is irreversible in nature.

Is it safe to have sleeve gastrectomy?

Gastric sleeve procedure is recommended to individuals whose body mass index (BMI) is 40 or greater than 40. It is a completely safe procedure and is minimally invasive in nature.

When performed correctly, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy improves a number of obesity-related medical conditions, including low back pain, arthritis, hypertension, cardiac disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, dermatitis due to skin folds, urinary incontinence, and metabolic syndrome.

The total duration of surgery is about 60 to 90 minutes. Your sleeve gastrectomy surgeon will give you general anaesthesia before the procedure. The surgery is performed with the help of a laparoscope.

The surgeon will insert the laparoscope into your belly after making two to five small incisions. The inside of your belly can be visualized with the help of a camera attached to the laparoscope. After that, your stomach will be cut vertically  

Around 75 percent of the stomach is removed and the remaining part of the stomach is joined with surgical staples. The retained portion of the stomach now looks like a banana-like sleeve. The cut part of the stomach is removed, and the incisions in the abdomen are stitched and closed.  The gastric sleeve cost is typically higher as compared to other surgical methods of weight loss.

The patient is typically discharged within two days of the procedure. The patient should follow the following instructions to recover quickly after gastric sleeve surgery:

• Take soft diet after discharge
• Take clear liquids on the day of the procedure
• Consume small meals to avoid stretching of the stomach
• Eat small quantities of food
• Include vitamins and minerals in the diet

You will start noticing gradual weight loss once you start to maintain a healthy diet and regular physical activity. You should not increase your quantity of meals after achieving targeted weight loss, as it may stretch your stomach. You should maintain the same activity levels for at least two to three years.