For people living with obesity, significant weight loss and long-term weight management usually can’t be achieved by simply eating less and exercising more. Obesity is a complex issue with many factors to consider, but bariatric surgery is an option that can lead to impactful sustained weight loss by limiting a person’s ability to consume calories, with effects that will ripple out to improvements in every area of life.
Gastric sleeve surgery involves removing approximately 80% of the stomach, creating a ‘sleeve’ with what is left. This smaller stomach means that a person can’t consume large amounts of food, and it also affects the production of hunger hormones (such as ghrelin and others), often meaning appetite lessens too. This results in dramatic weight loss which then levels out and can be sustained long-term with commitment and embodiment of a new lifestyle.
Comparing Bariatric Surgeries
When we examine the advantages and disadvantages of a specific procedure, such as the gastric sleeve, we are comparing it to other bariatric procedures, for example, the gastric bypass or gastric banding. Though each procedure differs in how it manages the consumption of food, ultimately they all have the same goal, weight loss.
Patients can lose up to 30% of their total body weight following gastric sleeve surgery, if they adhere to follow-up aftercare advice (see Our Program to find out more about our aftercare), including dietary changes. Whereas with a gastric band, they may only lose 15 – 20%. Gastric bypass has a similar total body weight loss in the order of 30-35%. This substantial weight loss is a major benefit, as with any bariatric surgery procedure, but as with any major surgery, also carries risks.
Let’s compare gastric sleeve surgery to other bariatric surgery options, to give you a better understanding of how it works. Starting with the advantages and benefits of gastric sleeve surgery.
Advantages of Gastric Sleeve Surgery
‘Normal’ Stomach
The gastric sleeve preserves the natural path of digestion, compared to a bypass that ‘bypasses’ the stomach altogether. There are many benefits of a gastric sleeve being a ‘normal’ stomach:
- Lower risk of nutritional deficiencies – with a sleeve, it is easier for the body to absorb nutrients from the food consumed, lowering the risk of nutrient deficiencies (which is more common in bypass patients).
- As the digestive system does not involve re-routing the intestines, this reduces the likelihood of other complications (in addition to malabsorption) such as internal hernias.
- ‘Dumping’ syndrome is a common problem with bypass patients that usually doesn’t cause an issue for those with a gastric sleeve.
After bariatric surgery, ensuring consumption of enough essential vitamins and minerals is an important part of aftercare, to ensure that even with a gastric sleeve you are getting enough of these through the much lower amount of food being consumed.
Less Complex
Despite being a life-changing procedure and major abdominal surgery, in comparison to a gastric bypass, the sleeve gastrectomy is a less complex bariatric procedure. A bypass for example changes the digestive processes within the body and therefore how the body can process food, the sleeve simply creates a smaller stomach for the patient.
With less complexity, this inherently presents less risk to the patient. A sleeve gastrectomy is a minimally invasive surgery that typically takes between 1 – 2 hours. Smaller incisions using the minimally invasive approach mean less pain and shorter recovery times than open surgery.
Benefits of Gastric Sleeve
The weight loss that the gastric sleeve provides can lead to endless benefits. If you adhere to your new diet and follow the guidance of our team over the coming months and years, weight loss has the potential to enhance every area of a your life through improved health overall.
Weight loss following bariatric surgery has a positive effect on many aspects of physical health, for example, Type 2 diabetes often goes into remission, patients experience a reduction in sleep apnoea, lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, less pressure on the back, knee and hip joints, improved cardiovascular and liver health, and the list goes on.
Mental health and general well-being are also significantly improved with weight loss following surgery. This is one of the amazing things to see in our patients, how this procedure had the ability to contribute towards transforming lives for the better. Increased self-esteem and confidence positively impact relationships, social interactions and even career prospects. Fostering a sense of renewed self-worth.
By managing and reducing the risk of life-threatening conditions by achieving and maintaining a healthier weight, patients can look forward to a longer and more fulfilling life. One of the many benefits of the gastric sleeve is the longevity it offers.
Disadvantages of Gastric Sleeve Surgery
As with any major surgery, a sleeve gastrectomy carries a significant risk which will be discussed in detail with you during your consultation. But compared to other weight loss surgeries, it is minimally invasive and disruptive and for the reasons already outlined above, is a relatively safe procedure for most people.
Some disadvantages of the gastric sleeve procedure include:
Non-reversible
This operation cannot be undone, so it’s important to fully understand the commitment needed to lose weight following surgery and if you are ready to make this decision. Because even though the sleeve is non-reversible, this does not mean that it cannot eventually stretch over time as a result of poor eating habits.
Reflux
After a gastric sleeve, some people can experience worsening reflux symptoms, especially during the first couple of months after surgery. This usually does subside for most patients, but for others, they may require further treatment for reflux. Some patients on the other hand as they lose weight actually improve their reflux symptoms and the decision regarding reflux and obesity surgery is a complicated one that requires individual decision making and discussion.
If you would like to know more about the gastric sleeve please visit the website. If you would like to know if you are a candidate for this procedure, please contact our practice to arrange your first appointment to discuss this in greater detail.