Gastric Sleeve

Gastric Sleeve as an Option for Weight Loss

The sleeve (vertical) gastrectomy, or gastric sleeve, is an operation to remove a portion of the stomach and resize the stomach to roughly the size and shape of a banana. A smaller stomach size helps patients become full faster and decreases the sensation of appetite. You also may have heard the gastric sleeve called "partial gastrectomy," "sleeve gastrectomy," "longitudinal gastrectomy" or "vertical gastrectomy."

The sleeve gastrectomy does not involve any "rerouting" or reconnecting of the intestines and is a simpler operation than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. Unlike gastric Lap Banding, the sleeve gastrectomy does not require the implantation of an artificial device inside the abdomen. It can be done laparoscopically, and discharge from the hospital occurs within one day.

Sleeve gastrectomies are recognized as a first and single procedure for weight loss because it can achieve more than 50 percent excess weight loss in as little as 18 months.

For certain patients, in particular those with a body mass index greater than 60, the sleeve gastrectomy may be the first part of a two-stage operation. Patients may safely lose up to 100 to 150 pounds in a six to 12 month period, at which point the weight loss may plateau and other procedures such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery become less risky.

Within one to two years after a sleeve gastrectomy, patients in medical studies have shown resolution of medical problems including: 

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Sleep apnea

Like any surgical operation, sleeve gastrectomy has possible complications, such as leakage, dilation of the sleeve (which allows for more food intake) and other usual complications associated with bariatric surgery. These risks, however, are known to be much lower than in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and duodenal switch.