The final weight loss surgery procedure we are going to discuss is called gastric sleeve surgery. You may also hear this surgery referred to as sleeve gastrectomy, vertical gastrectomy, restrictive vertical gastroplasty, or vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Gastric sleeve surgery involves stapling your stomach to make it smaller and then removing the unusable portion.
In gastric sleeve surgery, no section of your intestines is bypassed so there is no nutrient malabsorption. In addition, the section of your stomach that is removed is the section that is responsible for the creation of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin. That means that you lose weight because your food intake is restricted and you feel less hungry because you no longer produce ghrelin.
Gastric sleeve is performed as a stand-alone weight loss surgery and is also used as the first part of a two-stage operation for obese people considered a high risk for surgeries like gastric bypass and duodenal switch. In this case the gastric sleeve surgery is performed first and when sufficient weight loss has occurred, duodenal switch surgery or sometimes gastric bypass is performed as the second stage.
One decision facing you and your surgeon is whether gastric sleeve or gastric band surgery is more appropriate for you. There are benefits and drawbacks to each.
Gastric Band
- A reversible procedure
- May need to be adjusted over time
- Band may slip or erode tissues
- Soft foods with high calories may slip through the band and cause weight gain.
Gastric Sleeve
- Not reversible
- Needs no adjustment
- There is no band to slip or erode tissue
- Since part of the stomach is removed, foods cannot “slip through”
Studies have shown that two and four years after gastric sleeve surgery, most of the people who have had it have lost as much weight as those who have had gastric bands.
Look for this icon throughout the bariatric surgery guide. It highlights information specific to gastric sleeve surgery.