Bariatric surgery describes several different surgical operations that can help severely overweight or obese patients lose excess body weight. One of these procedures is known as a sleeve gastrectomy.
Procedure
With a sleeve gastrectomy, MedlinePlus explains, several small incisions are made in the abdomen. The surgeon inserts a laparoscope, which is connected to a video monitor in the operating room, through one of these openings. This enables him to view the inside of the belly. He then removes much of the stomach by inserting thin surgical instruments through the other incisions. The remaining stomach tissue is then stapled together to form a stomach shaped like a vertical tube.
Mechanism
Sleeve gastrectomy is able to help patients lose weight in two different ways: Foremost, it drastically reduces the size of the stomach, which limits the amount of food that the patient can eat in one setting. In addition, the procedure removes parts of the stomach, which secrete a ghrelin, a hormone that generates the sensation of hunger.
Effects
The gastric sleeve procedure is generally successful, Up To Date explains, and patients who receive this procedure typically lose approximately one-third of their excess weight after a year. Because the surgery does not involve any cutting of the intestines, there are fewer complications than there are in the gastric bypass procedure, and there is also a reduced risk of malnutrition.
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