Sleeve Gastrectomy
Surgical Procedures That Improve Your Life
Valley Baptist is proud to offer sleeve gastrectomy at both our Brownsville and Harlingen locations.
Sleeve gastrectomy weight-loss surgery limits the amount of food your stomach can hold by closing off, or removing, parts of the stomach. The surgery will also slow down the stomach’s emptying process, so you’ll feel fuller longer.
Our caring team of obesity specialists and weight-loss surgeons will help you determine if sleeve gastrectomy is the right procedure for you.
Why Sleeve Gastrectomy?
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recognizes sleeve gastrectomy as an approved and effective weight-loss procedure. In many cases, this procedure is used as the first stage to weight loss, followed by a second procedure that completes the gastric bypass. When combined with healthy eating and regular exercise, a gastric sleeve can help you shed pounds and improve your overall health.
How Is Sleeve Gastrectomy Performed?
Sleeve Gastrectomy involves removing a large portion of the lower stomach and creating a long, tubular structure that looks like a sleeve. The part of the stomach that’s removed produces a hormone that makes you feel hungry. Also, the stomach size is significantly smaller, but the digestion process does not change. A smaller stomach means that you eat less, and that, along with a slower digestive process, leads to weight loss. Hormonal changes related to gastric restriction also impact hunger and blood sugar control.
Sleeve gastrectomy surgery takes about two hours. Most people stay in the hospital for two days after surgery.
Is Sleeve Gastrectomy Right for You?
Sleeve gastrectomy may be the right choice for you if:
- You have a body mass index (BMI) of more than 60. Sleeve gastrectomy may be used as a first surgery to help you lose enough weight so you can then safely have a more extensive type of weight-loss surgery, such as a gastric bypass. The risks with bariatric surgery are much higher for people with a BMI over 60.
- If you are older or have other risk factors for surgery like heart, lung or liver problems, sleeve gastrectomy may be a safer option for you than other longer and more complicated weight-loss surgeries.
- If you have a BMI of 40 to 50, your doctor may recommend sleeve gastrectomy as the primary weight-loss surgery. That's because it's less likely to cause side effects such as stomach ulcers or poor food absorption than other forms of weight-loss surgery.
Risks of Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery
Any surgery done under general anesthesia carries some risk for heart and brain damage, but these risks are quite low. Sleeve gastrectomy is a shorter procedure than other types of gastric bypass surgery, so these risks may be even lower. To help protect against gastrointestinal problems and weight regain, you should have careful follow-up past the third year after surgery.
Weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy slows down after a few years, and your stomach may stretch and grow. For any bariatric surgery to succeed, you must make important lifestyle changes that include better nutrition and regular exercise.
Be sure to discuss any type of weight-loss surgery carefully with your doctor. Before surgery, you’ll need to have a complete physical exam to make sure you’re healthy enough to have the procedure. You should also receive nutritional and mental health counseling to make sure you’re prepared for what to expect after surgery.
