How does minimally invasive sleeve gastrectomy work?
During a sleeve gastrectomy, approximately 75% of your stomach is surgically removed, leaving you with a smaller “banana-shaped” stomach that limits food intake and hormonally reduces hunger, increasing fullness. This is a permanent procedure that does not require any future adjustments. This procedure works long term by rebalancing the hormones in our body that create fullness to reduce hunger even after years of significant weight loss.
The gastric sleeve procedure is recognized as one of the safest weight loss surgeries since it doesn't involve bypassing the small intestines, allowing for normal food digestion and nutrient absorption. It carries lower complication risks, without leaving any foreign objects inside the body. Since it is the first step in the duodenal switch, it easily allows any future revision to be done safely. Nevertheless, as with any surgical procedure, some risks will be discussed by your bariatric surgeon.
You may want to know more about the benefits of gastric sleeve and how to qualify for gastric sleeve surgery. The best way to get all of your questions answered and to explore the different types of weight loss surgery is to attend one of Main Line Health's free bariatric information sessions where you'll meet bariatric surgeon Richard D. Ing, MD and Samantha Witte, MD.