With obesity continuing to rise in the West obesity surgery has become a routine type of surgery in a large number of medical facilities.
The sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive type of weight loss surgery in which approximately 85 percent of the stomach is surgically removed leaving a sleeve shaped stomach with a substantially reduced capacity ranging from about 60 to 150 cc. Unlike many other forms of weight loss surgery, the outlet valve and nerves to the stomach are left intact and, while the stomach is significantly reduced in volume, its function is unchanged. Again, unlike other forms of bariatric surgery such as the tried and tested Roux-en-Y gastric bypass the sleeve gastrectomy cannot be reversed.
As the newly created stomach functions as normal there are many fewer restrictions on the foods which patients can eat following surgery, thought the amount of food consumed will be much reduced. Many patients view this as being one of the great advantages of the vertical gastrectomy, as is the fact that the removal of the majority of the stomach also results in the essential elimination of hormones which are produced in the stomach and which stimulate hunger.
Possibly the main advantage of the vertical gastrectomy is to be found in the fact that it does not bypass the intestinal tract and patients do not therefore experience the complications of intestinal bypass including intestinal obstruction, anemia, osteoporosis and protein deficiency. It also means that it is an appropriate type of surgery for individuals who are already suffering from Crohn's disease, anemia and various other conditions which would place them at high risk for intestinal bypass surgery.
Lastly, it is one of of only a few forms of bariatric which can be done laparoscopically in patients who are particularly obese.
Probably the chief disadvantage of the sleeve gastrectomy is that it does not always produce the loss in weight which patients would wish for and may even lead to weight regain in the long term. This is indeed true of any type of solely restrictive weight loss surgery though it is possibly especially true in the case of the sleeve gastrectomy.
As the procedure requires stapling of the stomach patients are at risk of leaks and other complications which are specifically related to stapling. Further, as with any operation, patients run the risk of complications including post-operative bleeding, small bowel obstruction, pneumonia and even death. The chance of encountering any of these complications is luckily extremely small and varies from about 0.5 and 1%. Having said this, the chance of dying as a result of this type of surgery at about 0 .25% is very small indeed.
Generally speaking the sleeve gastrectomy is most suitable for patients who are either particularly overweight or whose health rules out other forms of bariatric surgery. In the case of the first category the sleeve gastrectomy would usually form the first of a two-part weight loss plan, with further surgery being done once the patient's weight has fallen sufficiently to permit other forms of weight loss surgery to be performed.
Author Resource:-
GastricBypassFacts.info provides detailed information on the vertical sleeve gastrectomy and the sleeve gastrectomy with duodenal switch including detail of the duodenum function and the role of the jejunum tubes.
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