Gastric sleeve surgery is a weight loss surgery in which part of the patient’s stomach is removed. The stomach that remains is no larger than a banana. This severely limits the amount of food a person can eat, which helps them with their weight loss goals. According to the University Of Nebraska Medical Center, gastric sleeve surgery has been performed on patients over the last five years. Despite that fact, it is still considered to be one of the newer types of weight loss surgery. The data that has been gathered so far proves that gastric sleeve surgery is an effective tool when it comes to weight loss. According to the Oregon Health & Science University, even though this surgery results in a person being able to eat less food they are still able to absorb nutrients into their body like anyone else can.
There are many advantages to having this type of surgery, especially for patients who are obese. According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, generally advantages for anyone who has the surgery include a rapid weight loss equal to about 65% of the person’s body weight. This weight can be lost in an average of one to two years after gastric sleeve surgery has been performed. There is also no need to implant a foreign object into the patient’s body with this type of surgery. In addition, the part of the stomach that is removed is the part that control a person’s hunger, meaning their appetite is less than it was before the surgery. This type of surgery also requires fewer follow up doctor’s appointments than other forms of gastric surgery. According to Medlineplus, this type of surgery allows the patient’s digestive track to remain the same as it was before surgery.
When gastric sleeve surgery begins the patient is given anesthesia and an incision is made in the abdomen. According to WebMD, doctors will either use one large incision or smaller numerous incisions and use a small camera to help them guide the surgery. Over half of the patient’s stomach is then removed and a vertical sleeve is left behind. The patient’s stomach is then stapled shut. Due to the fact that this surgery involves removing most of the stomach, it is not reversible.
Recent studies show that 42% of bariatric patients who intend to undergo gastric sleeve surgery require Hiatal Hernias. Read More…
According to Medline Plus, recovering from gastric sleeve surgery involves changing the way a person eats. It is important that while recovering, patients eat food slowly and chew every bite several times. Patients are also advised to avoid drinking while eating a meal. When a gastric sleeve surgery patient is released from the hospital it is generally two days after the surgery was performed. The patient’s doctor sends them home with a recommended diet that they should follow. By this time, most patients can eat a diet of pureed foods during recovery. Part of the recovery process from this type of surgery usually involves either pain pills or liquids. Patients are also often prescribed proton pump inhibitors.
As stated by WebMD, patients often feel pain in their belly and are generally prescribed pain medications to be taken for approximately one week after the surgery. They often feel soreness around the incisions in their stomach. Some patients experience diarrhea as a result of their new smaller stomach. This happens because the person gets full quicker than they ever did before which can lead to food entering the patient’s small intestine at a rapid rate.
Medline Plus reports that Gastric Sleeve surgery can cause stomach ulcers or heartburn. It is possible a patient’s intestines and stomach as well as other organs may become injured during the surgery. Patients also sometimes experience leakage around the area where the incision was made. If these patients eat more food than their stomach can handle they often vomit as a result.
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