Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve Gastrectomy; Although bariatric surgeries have been practiced since 1990s, the sleeve gastrectomy technique currently carried out was last reported by Gagner, MD, an American surgeon, in 2001.

Gagner, MD considered this technique as the first-step surgery for weight loss to a certain extent prior to the actual operation for overweight super-obese patients who are unable to undergo conventional gastric by-pass and biliopancreatic diversion operations.

However, patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy for this purpose were found to have lost much more weight than expected and most importantly sufficient weight, as a result, this technique was introduced into the medical literature as a bariatric surgery that can be performed alone.

Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass (RNYGP) is currently the most common type of bariatric surgery performed in the world, especially in the USA. (In the last year, the rate of sleeve gastrectomy surgery has increased and has been started to be performed almost evenly with RNYGP.) The indication for gastric bypass surgery is the same as for all other bariatric surgeries.

This procedure is preferably for performed patients who eat less but has a very high-calorie diet, called as sweet eater.

Since reducing the size of the stomach alone will not result in sufficient weight loss, a procedure to restrict the absorption should be added. It is not performed for patients with chronic intestinal disorders, because it will be an intervention also intended for small intestines, unlike sleeve gastrectomy.

How Old Should The Patient Be To Have Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery?

It is necessary to be over the age of 18 to have a gastric sleeve surgery. There is no upper age limit and decision is made considering the chronic diseases and physical performance of the patient.

How Long Does Gastric Sleeve Surgery Take?

Gastric Sleeve Surgery is an operation that takes about 1 hour and is performed as closed surgery with an average of 5 incisions.

Who Can Have Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Your body mass index is calculated to determine whether you are suitable for gastric sleeve surgery or not.
To have gastric sleeve surgery:
Your body mass index should be higher than 40 or it should be higher than 35 and it has to have coexisting diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or sleep apnea due to overweight.

Are There Any Scars on the Body After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Gastric Sleeve Surgery is generally performed laparoscopically the procedure will leave 4 or 5 scars approximately 1-2 cm in size on your body.

What Is The Leak Risk After Gastric Sleeve Surgery? What Are The Signs of Leakage?

In sleeve gastrectomy, most of the stomach is removed and the remaining stomach walls are joined together with surgical staples. Leakage of stomach contents into the abdomen from these areas joined together with staples is called leakage. During surgery, the stomach is inflated with a liquid containing methylene blue, and it is checked whether there is a leak or not.
If a leak is not detected in this test, there will still be a risk of leakage in the forthcoming days. For this reason, surgical tubes called drainage tubes are placed in the abdomen for both leak control and bleeding control purposes. These drainage tubes are removed on the 3rd or 4th day if there seems to be no problem.

Signs indicating the presence of leakage are high fever, abdominal pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and low blood pressure. If you are experiencing these signs and have been discharged from the hospital, you should get in contact with your physician immediately.

Exercises and Sports After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If your doctor does not have a different recommendation after sleeve gastrectomy, you can start doing low-impact exercises within 7-10 days. You can start doing all kinds of sports after the first month.

Will I Have Sagging Skin After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Depending upon the amount of weight you lost, your skin elasticity and your age, sagging may occur after gastric sleeve surgery.

Will I Gain Weight Again After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Gastric Sleeve Surgery shrinks the size of your stomach and allows you to get full with smaller portions of food so you can lose weight. If you can maintain a regular and balanced diet and start to be more active, this will not be a problem for you. If you do not change your old habits and put your healthy diet in order, you may start gaining weight again.

Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery A Risky Procedure?

All surgical operations have some kind of risk. The most important risk in Gastric Sleeve Surgery is the risk of leakage. The level of this risk is low if the procedure performed by an experienced surgeon and with proper equipment.