Pros & Cons of Gastric Sleeve: All You Need to Know About this Procedure!

When you are struggling to lose weight due to obesity, gastric sleeve surgery can be an effective solution to improve your overall health. By reducing the volume of the stomach, this laparoscopic procedure suppresses the appetite and helps with portion control. Although there is a low risk of complications and disadvantages of sleeve gastrectomy, there are a few possible negative outcomes as well. We will discuss the pros and cons of a gastric sleeve in this blog; you can decide if you want to proceed with this treatment.

Pros of Gastric Sleeve

You can expect significant improvement after you have undergone gastric sleeve surgery. In general, it has a proven 65% reduction of excess weight within the first year, which means you can attain your goal weight in a couple of years. That’s not all! You can also expect to see the following benefits:

1. New Metabolic Thermostat:
   Gastric sleeve surgery introduces changes in hormones and the stomach, which makes it possible for the body to reset the metabolism as well as the set point. This means that your body can now easily shed off the additional weight, even if the metabolism struggled to do so before. With decreased hunger hormones and increased metabolism, you are all set for a successful endeavor.
2. Reduction of Hunger Hormones:
   Your bariatric surgeon will remove a significant portion of the stomach containing Ghrelin or the hunger hormones. Consequently, you will not feel as hungry anymore, leading you to reduce portion sizes and eat less than before.
3. Low Amount of Food Intake:
   Since your hunger hormones are reduced, you will not feel the need to eat as much anymore. A low amount of food intake helps lose excess weight faster.
4. Increased Leptin & Early Satiety:
   You will realize that you feel full much faster, thanks to the smaller stomach. The brain receives fullness signals because the stretch receptors get stretched sooner. Moreover, the Leptin levels in the blood increase, as does the satiety.
5. Accelerates the Digestion Process:
   Another advantage of sleeve gastrectomy is that it speeds up the digestion process since the food spends less time in the sleeve-shaped stomach. This way, the body absorbs fewer calories.
6. Zero Changes in Anatomy:
   This bariatric surgery does not involve rerouting the small intestines or any other organ; there are no changes to the stomach valve regulating food into the small intestine.
7. Simple Procedure:
   Usually, weight loss surgeries and procedures are hard to follow. However, gastric sleeve surgery is clear-cut and easy to understand.

Cons of Gastric Sleeve

Yes, gastric sleeve surgery has many advantages, but that does not insinuate that there are no disadvantages related to the procedure. Below, you will find some disadvantages of sleeve gastrectomy:

1. 1. Possible Leakage:
      Removing a big portion of the stomach could result in a staple line leak and leakage after the surgery. The bariatric surgeon does reinforce the staple lines with the help of sutures to eliminate this risk.
   2. Non-Reversible:
      One of the biggest aspects of gastric sleeve is that it resects a significant portion of the stomach, which means it cannot be reversed.
   3. Nutritional Guidelines:
      You will have to take vitamin and mineral supplements every day following the surgery, as the digestion process can cause nutritional deficiencies. This could mean that the body absorbs less essential nutrients. However, it is less likely to cause malabsorption, unlike other procedures with strict nutritional guidelines.
   4. Cost:
      The procedure might be too expensive for many, costing somewhere between $7,500 to $30,000 without insurance.

What’s Next?

Gastric sleeve has many pros and cons; you can decide if this is the right treatment for you after getting familiar with the different aspects. By reducing the stomach size, sleeve gastrectomy helps you significantly lose weight. There are a few disadvantages, but you can discuss the possibilities with your bariatric surgeon.

At Nova Bariatrics, you can look forward to promising treatments with positive outcomes. Dial (469) 639-0953 to contact us now or pay us a visit!