Stomach Surgery

The Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy is a relatively new operation. It may be done as a standalone procedure for patients who don't have much weight to lose. It may also be done as part of a staged operation for high-risk patients with a body mass index of 60 or more. In this case the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy may precede a gastric bypass or duodenal switch.

Like any surgical procedure, Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy has possible complications. These complications include leakage, dilation of the sleeve allowing increased food intake, and other usual complications associated with bariatric surgery. The risks are much lower than in gastric bypass or duodenal switch. Some surgeons even prefer it to the gastric banding operation since it eliminates the need to insert a foreign body into the patient.

Weight loss with the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy is in the range of 45 to 55 percent of the patient's excess body weight. The stomach size is reduced to about 100 to 120 cc in volume. This allows the patient to feel full after eating only a small amount of food. They lose weight because they eat less. Another benefit is that this procedure preserves the pylorus, which is the valve that regulates the emptying of the stomach. This allows the food to remain longer in the stomach, making the patient feel full longer.

Since the new stomach continues to function normally, the patient will have fewer restrictions on types of foods that may be consumed after the procedure. The quantity of food however, will be greatly reduced. This is seen as a great advantage by many patients when choosing which procedure to have. Another advantage in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy is that since so much of the stomach is removed, the hormones that are produced within the stomach to stimulate hunger are virtually eliminated.

Another distinct advantage of this procedure is that since it does not involve any bypass of the intestinal tract, patients do not suffer complications such as intestinal obstruction, anemia, osteoporosis, vitamin deficiency and protein deficiency. It is also one of the few forms of weight loss surgery that can be performed laparoscopically in extremely overweight patients.

There are some disadvantages to Lapsroscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy. It does not always produce the desired weight loss that patients hope for, nor does it prevent weight gain. Post-operative bleeding, small bowel obstruction, pneumonia and even death may occur in less than 1 percent of patients.

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