Sleeve Gastrectomy Cost in South Africa

A bariatric surgery procedure used to induce weight loss is the gastric sleeve, commonly known as a sleeve gastrectomy. It functions by making your stomach smaller. A "gastrectomy" is the surgical removal of all or part of the stomach. After a gastric sleeve procedure, around 80% of your stomach is removed, leaving behind a banana-sized, tubular "sleeve."

One simple procedure to limit how much food you may eat in one sitting and feel fuller sooner is to reduce the size of your stomach. However, it also has another function, which is to lessen the quantity of hunger hormones your stomach can create. This may help avoid the cravings and decreased appetite that lead to people gaining back the weight they lost.

These procedures are carried out through minimally invasive surgical methods (laparoscopic and robotic surgery) and tiny incisions. These developments make it possible for patients to recover more quickly, suffer less pain, and have fewer problems and shorter hospital stays overall.

What are the types of Sleeve Gastrectomy procedures?

• Standard Sleeve Gastrectomy- The most popular type of sleeve gastrectomy is the standard version. To create a long, tubular, or sleeve-shaped stomach pouch, 75–80% of the stomach must be surgically removed along the larger curve.
• Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG)- Laparoscopic procedures, which require multiple tiny abdominal incisions, are the main method used to accomplish sleeve gastrectomy. The procedure is carried out with the help of specialist surgical equipment and a laparoscope, which is a narrow, illuminated tube with a camera.
• Single-Incision Sleeve Gastrectomy- Rather than requiring numerous incisions, a single incision (also known as a single-port or single-site surgery) may be used to execute a sleeve gastrectomy in certain circumstances. This method seeks to lessen noticeable scarring and maybe lessen pain following surgery.
• Sleeve Gastrectomy Revision- Revision surgery may occasionally be necessary for individuals who have had bariatric surgery in the past (such as gastric banding or gastric bypass) to resolve problems or insufficient weight loss. In these circumstances, a revision procedure such as a sleeve gastrectomy may be carried out.

Additionally, sleeve gastrectomy can be paired with other bariatric treatments or operations to improve weight loss results or meet particular patient needs.

What are the reasons to consider LSG surgery?

• LSG could be performed as your initial procedure to assist you lose enough weight if your BMI is more than 60. Following that, you can safely undergo a second, more involved procedure to lose weight at a later time. Those with a BMI of greater than 60 are at significantly higher risk while undergoing some types of bariatric surgery.
• If you have other surgical risk factors, are older, or both, LSG might be a safer option for you than other lengthier and more involved weight-loss procedures. Problems with the heart, lungs, or liver are among these risk factors.
• If your BMI is between 40 and 50, your doctor might suggest LSG. This is because, in comparison to other types of weight-loss surgery, it is less likely to have adverse effects. Poor food absorption or gastrointestinal ulcers are possible side effects.

Before-

• To make sure you are healthy enough for surgery, you will undergo blood tests, a gallbladder ultrasound, and other diagnostic procedures.
• Appointments with your healthcare provider to ensure that any untreated medical conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or lung issues, are under control.
• If you smoke, you should give it up a few weeks before surgery and refrain from starting back up afterward. Smoking raises the chance of issues and hinders the healing process. Ask your doctor for assistance in stopping.

During-

• A tiny camera is typically inserted into your abdomen to do the surgery. We refer to this kind of operation as a laparoscopy. The term "laparotomy" refers to the camera. It lets the surgeon view your abdomen.
• Two to five tiny incisions (cuts) are made in your abdomen by the surgeon.
• Through these incisions, the surgical instruments and scope are inserted.
• The operating room's visual monitor is linked to the camera. This gives the physician the ability to see within your abdomen while doing the procedure.
• Your belly is inflated by pumping a safe gas into it. The surgeon now has more space to work.
• Most of your stomach is removed by your surgeon.
• Surgical staples are used to connect the remaining parts of your stomach. This results in a stomach that resembles a long vertical tube or banana.
• The sphincter muscles that control food entry and exit from the stomach are not severed or altered during the procedure.
• Other tools and the scope are taken out. The wounds are sealed with stitches.

It takes 60 to 90 minutes for the surgery.

After-

• You may return home two days later. The day following surgery, you should be able to consume clear liquids; by the time you return home, you should be on a pureed diet.
• You'll likely be prescribed liquids or pills for pain relief when you get home, along with a medication called a proton pump inhibitor that lowers stomach acid.
• After this procedure, the little pouch will soon fill with food. Even a very tiny amount of food will make you feel full.
• Your dietician, surgeon, or nurse will suggest a diet for you. Small meals are best to prevent straining the remaining stomach.

In general, weight loss is slower than with a gastric bypass. For up to two or three years, you should continue to lose weight.

After surgery, losing enough weight can help with a variety of other medical issues you may be experiencing. Asthma, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, hypercholesterolemia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are among the conditions that could become better.

Weight loss is not possible with this procedure alone. You will still need to put in a lot of effort, even though it can teach you to eat less. You will need to adhere to the exercise and dietary recommendations made by your dietician and surgeon to lose weight and prevent problems from the treatment.