The Gastric Sleeve Surgery, also known as the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy, is a bariatric treatment that involves the removal of 75-80% of the stomach. During the operation, a laparoscope is used by the surgeon to perform the operation through one or multiple tiny incisions in the abdomen, or stomach area. By removing a portion of the stomach, you may lower the size of your stomach and limit the quantity of food you can consume at once, allowing you to feel satisfied sooner. Over the course of two years, 70-80 per cent of extra weight is expected to be lost. The procedure has recently been the most popular bariatric operation around the globe. The number of gastric sleeve surgery has virtually doubled every year over the last decade. Gastric sleeve treatments now account for more than half of all bariatric surgeries performed worldwide.

Gastric Sleeve operation is a permanent surgery and it brings a number of profound changes to the patient’s life. Some of these are:

  • Overall advancement in quality of life
  • Adjusted, and healthier eating pattern with the help of a decrease in desire to eat
  • Adjustment in hunger sensation
  • Healthy loss of weight the following year of the surgery
  • Obesity-related health disorders such as diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, joint discomfort, and hyperlipidemia remission or improvement

How Does The Gastric Surgery Work?

  • The stomach capacity is reduced, causing patients to feel full considerably faster following surgery.
  • People feel less hungry as a result of hormonal changes such as lower hunger hormone output.
  • After surgery, increased stomach motility helps food to flow through the stomach and intestine more quickly.

How Much Weight Can Be Lost With Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

  • People shed 60-70 per cent of their extra weight on average.
  • 10-20 pounds lost in the first two weeks; most patients lose one pound every day.
  • 35-45 per cent of extra weight reduction in the first three months
  • In the first six months, you should lose 50-60% of your extra weight.
  • 60-70 per cent of extra weight is lost in the first year.
  • 12-24 months following surgery, the majority of patients attain their lowest weight.
  • The success rate of the gastric sleeve is around 90 per cent.

Does Insurance Cover Bariatric Gastric Sleeve?

When you fulfill the following conditions, most insurance companies will pay for bariatric surgery:

  • BMI score higher than 40, or
  • BMI of 35 to 40 with one of the obesity-related conditions listed below:
  • Hypertension
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Fatty liver disease, or
  • Hyperlipidemia

Comparison Between Gastric Sleeve And Other Bariatric Surgeries

  • Laparoscopic gastric banding (Lap-band) was a common procedure in the past. However, because of the high likelihood of long-term problems and poor weight reduction, the number of lap-band procedures performed throughout the world has decreased year after year. At the current moment, most big academic Bariatric Surgery Centers seldom perform the Lap-band treatment.
  • The gold standard for bariatric surgery had been gastric bypass surgery in the past years. Due to its technological simplicity and lower long-term complication rates, the Gastric Sleeve has surpassed Gastric Bypass Surgery as the most popular bariatric surgery in recent years.

Detailed Comparison Of Gastric Sleeve And Gastric Bypass

  • The Gastric Sleeve is a lot easier procedure from a technical standpoint. Gastric sleeve surgery normally takes 40-70 minutes to perform, but gastric bypass surgery takes about 2-3 hours.
  • With the Gastric Sleeve treatment, there is a substantially decreased risk of nutritional or vitamin shortage. Furthermore, Gastric Sleeve patients do not experience mal-absorption.
  • Gastric bypass patients may experience long-term problems such as intestinal blockage, marginal ulcers, and internal hernias. Patients who have had a gastric sleeve have a very low likelihood of having these problems.

Possible Complications And Risks Of Gastric Sleeve

With the advancement of surgical procedures and physician expertise over the last decade, the gastric sleeve has become a generally safe bariatric surgical operation. Complications can still happen during and after surgery, though. The following are the most common problems and hazards associated with gastric sleeve surgery:

  • Bleeding

Bleeding is a possible complication of gastric sleeve operation, as it is in almost all other surgical operations.

  • Heart Burn

This is a hotly debated subject in bariatric surgery, with results from different centers being inconclusive. Most patients who had heartburn before surgery had their symptoms improve after surgery as a result of weight reduction, in our experience. Some individuals may experience new heartburn, which may usually be treated with over-the-counter anti-acid medicines.

  • Nutrient And Vitamin Deficiency

Nutrient and vitamin deficiency may occur due to poor and insufficient eating patterns.

  • Weight Regain

Slight weight increase after 1-2 years is usual with all bariatric surgeries, and roughly 10-20% of patients might experience severe weight gain after gastric sleeve surgery. Many clinics gathered data after 5 years of follow-up to indicate that the majority of patients can sustain their weight loss following gastric sleeve surgery.

  • Excess Skin

Excess and sagging skin masses may appear due to excessive weight loss. Some insurance companies may cover for the skin removal surgery.

  • Stenosis

Stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, can put pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves that go from it to your muscles. Spinal stenosis can affect any section of your spine, but the lower back is the most frequent. The lumbar portion of your spine is what it’s called. This condition may cause lower back pain

  • Stricture

Scarring narrows the channel that conducts urine out of your body, causing urethral stricture (urethra). A stricture inhibits urine flow from the bladder and can result in a range of medical issues in the urinary system, such as irritation.

  • Internal Leakage

The possibility of digestive fluids and partially digested food seeping through an anastomosis is one of the risks of a gastric sleeve operation. After gastric bypass surgery, this is a significant problem. It’s possible that a leak will appear many weeks following surgery. The majority of them happen within a few days of surgery.

Recovery After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

  • The patient is usually required to rest in the clinic or hospital for one or two nights to make sure that there aren’t any complications.
  • The patient can usually walk a few hours after the surgery.
  • In general, post-surgery discomfort is readily controlled. The majority of patients use less pain medication than is suggested.
  • After 2-4 weeks, most patients are able to return to work or school. Due to the low calorie intake from the liquid diet, fatigue is prevalent during the first two weeks. During this stage of the diet, however, the majority of patients do not feel hungry. The soft diet is introduced roughly 2 weeks following surgery, and the energy level increases fast. After surgery, we occasionally enable patients to work from home for 2-3 days each week.
  • The patient can begin light exercising four to six weeks after the surgery.