- Healthier Weight
- March 13, 2023
- 2:44 pm
The rise in popularity with the gastric sleeve
Bariatric procedures
Bariatric surgery is an answer for those who struggle with obesity and cannot find a way to lose weight. These patients may have tried numerous diets and different exercise regimens with no success. The most popular types of bariatric surgery are the:
– Gastric sleeve
– Gastric bypass
– Gastric band
Although all these procedures can be extremely effective, there has been a recent increase in the popularity of the gastric sleeve. In this blog, we’ll discuss why this popularity shift has occurred.
To begin, let’s discuss how each of these operations is performed by a bariatric surgeon and how they work…
Gastric band – The patient is placed under general anaesthetic. A silicone band is then placed around part of the stomach where it can be tightened or loosened. This restricts the amount of food that can enter the stomach, limiting your eating and helping you feel full more quicker.
Gastric sleeve – The stomach is cut along its length where around 80% of your stomach is removed, making the patients feel full with less food. This process is all done laparoscopically (through keyhole surgery).
Gastric bypass – The size of your stomach is reduced by being separated into two different pouches. The smaller pouch is then redirected to your digestive tract which allows your stomach to fill up quicker, allowing you to eat a more appropriate amount of food.
Effectiveness
One main reason for the popularity of the gastric sleeve is because of its effectiveness in producing weight loss. Studies show that the average weight loss results are around 60-70% of your excess weight within the first two years. Additionally, the gastric sleeve has been proven to help reduce comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. This is because a lot of these issues are associated with a high BMI. Therefore, as your weight decreases, so do other medical conditions and their side effects.
Risk of complications
With the gastric sleeve, there are minimal risks of complications, especially with the experienced surgeons at Healthier Weight. As the procedure is done laparoscopically, there are small cuts made, meaning less invasion. Further reducing the risk of infection as well as a shorter hospital stay. Additionally, once the operation is complete, there is less need to revisit the surgery with adjustments, as you may need with procedures such as the gastric band.
Less invasive than the bypass
Finally, the gastric sleeve is less invasive than the gastric bypass which a lot of potential patients would prefer. This is because a lot of patients may not need something as invasive as the bypass but still require some form of bariatric surgery.
To conclude, all bariatric surgeries are effective in helping patients to lose weight. The gastric sleeve has become more popular in recent years due to the success rate it has gained. However, if you are looking into weight loss surgery it is important that you speak to health care professionals when deciding the procedure that is best for you as the answer will vary vastly on your situational needs and current circumstances.
