During gastric sleeve surgery, a large part of the stomach is surgically removed. The stomach volume is usually reduced to 85 to 150 ml. As a result, the stomach can absorb less food and a feeling of fullness occurs more quickly. The reduced stomach (gastric sleeve) also produces significantly fewer hunger hormones, which reduces appetite.
In contrast to gastric bypass, the digestive tract is not affected by sleeve gastrectomy. Gastric sleeve surgery is a globally recognized and extremely effective method of weight reduction. As the number of overweight people is constantly increasing, the method is being used more and more frequently.
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Sleeve gastrectomy is performed on severely overweight people who suffer fromobesity and have already made several unsuccessful attempts to lose weight.
As a rule, doctors perform sleeve gastrectomy from a body mass index (BMI) of 35. To have a sleeve gastrectomy, the patient should be at least 18 and at most 65 years old. A sleeve gastrectomy is not suitable for
Gastric sleeve surgery is very effective: within the first two years after the procedure, patients can already lose 60 to 70 percent of their excess weight. In addition to being highly effective, the sleeve gastrectomy has other advantages:
A major advantage of the sleeve gastrectomy is that it significantly improves many accompanying obesity-related diseases. Such diseases are primarily
Specialists in visceral surgery are initially responsible. Within visceral surgery, gastroenterology specializes in surgery of the digestive tract. Bariatric surgery is another specialist area within visceral surgery that performs special surgical procedures on obese people.
There are also special obesity centers that work on an interdisciplinary basis and are fully geared towards the needs of people with obesity. Here, those affected receive the best care from diagnosis to treatment and aftercare.
Sleeve gastrectomy is performed under general anesthesia using a minimally invasive surgical technique (keyhole surgery), which leaves only small scars. The stay in the clinic is between 4 and 5 days. A number of preliminary examinations must be carried out before the operation. These include an esophagoscopy, gastroscopy and duodenoscopy, as well as ultrasound of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas.
The surgical procedure takes about an hour. The surgeon inserts the surgical instruments into the abdominal cavity through small incisions in the abdominal wall and fills it with gas (carbon dioxide). This creates more space in the abdominal cavity and gives the surgeon a better view of the operating area.
Using a stapling device (stapler), the surgeon now removes most of the stomach. The remaining narrow tube of stomach from the oesophagus to the duodenum is sutured together.
The doctor then feeds dye into the stomach via a gastric tube to check that the staple suture is sealed. The suture is sealed if no dye leaks out.
In addition to the usual risks of general anesthesia, the following complications can occur during sleeve gastrectomy surgery:
A sleeve gastrectomy cannot be reversed. Nutritional deficiencies (vitamin and mineral deficiencies, protein deficiencies) may occur temporarily after the procedure. However, these can be prevented or remedied with appropriate nutritional advice.
There may also be an increased incidence of gallstones and food intolerances. If the patient eats excessively after the procedure, the gastric sleeve can stretch and enlarge again(dilatation).
After the operation, the recovery period is around three weeks before the patient can return to work. Heavy lifting should be avoided for four to six weeks.
During the first four weeks after the operation, you should only eat liquid or pureed food. The gastric sleeve must gradually become accustomed to solid food. After a few weeks, you will be able to eat all foods that you can tolerate.
A gastric sleeve does not replace a healthy lifestyle. You will only achieve long-term success if you maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
In many cases, multivitamin supplements or vitamin and iron injections are advisable or even necessary.
The following recommendations apply to people with a gastric sleeve:
Lifelong aftercare and nutritional advice are necessary in order to lose weight sustainably and prevent deficiencies.
People with a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass must be careful when taking medication that irritates the stomach. These include, for example, painkillers such as acetylsalicylic acid or (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. Painkillers that are gentle on the stomach are paracetamol or tramadol.
You should also be careful when drinking alcohol, as the effect of alcohol is significantly increased by the reduced stomach. It is not advisable for patients with a gastric sleeve to donate blood, as this can lead to an iron deficiency.
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