Sleeve Gastrectomy
Sleeve gastrectomy, also called “vertical sleeve,” removes the stomach’s left side, so the remaining stomach is about one-third of its original size. This “new,” smaller stomach allows patients to feel full after eating only a small amount of food.
This procedure has also proven to reduce the appetite hormone, ghrelin. This typically causes patients to experience a feeling of reduced hunger that lasts up to 12 months after surgery. Less appetite combined with a smaller stomach makes it even easier to eat less. However, it’s important to remember that results vary with each individual since diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes play an essential role in long-term success.
Advantages of Sleeve Gastrectomy
- Rapid and significant weight loss. Patients lose their excess weight and maintain that loss at the three-year and five-year benchmarks. The World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery found 96% of vertical sleeve patients reported BMI reduction during the first year, 89.5% after three years, and 73% at five years.
- It significantly reduces type 2 diabetes. A 2020 study reported as high as 78.9% remission of diabetes within six months of surgery.
Disadvantages of the Sleeve Gastrectomy
- There is a risk of leakage at the staple lines.
Note: A sleeve gastrectomy is a permanent procedure since part of the stomach is removed.