Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy or what is commonly referred to as “Gastric Sleeve” surgery has rapidly become one of the most common bariatric surgical procedures in the United States.  There are several key elements to the surgery that have helped it gain popularity with both our patients and our surgical team.

First and foremost, you need to understand the medical benefits of gastric sleeve surgery as it relates to treating your obesity and helping you start reshaping your body.  The most common misunderstanding about the gastric sleeve is how the surgery works.

When many of our patients start researching gastric sleeve surgery, they are under the impression that a “sleeve” material is going to be placed around their stomach, similar to a gastric band.   This is incorrect. The surgical procedure gained its name of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy because the stomach is actually cut into a shape that is “sleeve-like”.

The bariatric surgical process removes roughly 85% of the patient’s stomach while shaping the remaining stomach into a “sleeve-like” shape.  Our experienced team of bariatric surgeons essentially create a smaller stomach by separating it from the larger portion of the stomach. The illustration on this page outlines the final results of the procedure.

The larger portion of the stomach contains the hormone responsible for appetite, or ghrelin.  By surgically removing this portion of the stomach and reducing or eliminating the production of ghrelin, the sensation of hunger is greatly reduced.  The “sleeve” portion of the stomach remains connected with intestines.

Gastric sleeve surgery is an effective option to achieve and maintain your weight loss goals.  The gastric sleeve is also a viable option for patients that may not be a candidate for gastric bypass surgery.

Benefits to Gastric Sleeve Surgery:

• Gastric sleeve surgery decreases the hunger urges by removing the part of the stomach that produces the main stimulating hormones
• The remainder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract anatomy is not altered, so the food ingested follows the normal course
• Less chance of developing lack of vitamins and minerals and eliminates ‘dumping syndrome’
• Fewer office visits than with gastric banding, since there is no need for adjustment of the size of the band, this allows you to move on with your new life more quickly.