Risks of a Sleeve Gastrectomy operation

The risks associated with the sleeve gastrectomy are the same as those for any other major abdominal procedure and include:

• Haemmorrhage (bleeding)

• Leaks from staple lines

• Anaesthetic and drug reactions

• Deep vein thrombosis / pulmonary embolus (blood clots on the lung)

• Infection

• Marginal ulcer

• Respiratory (lung) problems

Overall the risk for any of these early complications varies between 3-7% and in experienced hands the risk of death during a sleeve gastrectomy is very low – around 0.1-0.5%.