Gastric sleeve surgery (sleeve gastrectomy)
Gastric sleeve surgery works by gently reshaping the stomach, reducing it from a rounded sac to a slender tube. Around 80% of the stomach is removed during the procedure, which is performed using minimally invasive laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery.
With a smaller stomach, you’ll feel full sooner after eating, which naturally helps you eat less. The surgery also reduces certain hormones produced by the stomach that stimulate appetite, making it easier to manage hunger. Aside from these changes, your stomach continues to digest calories and absorb nutrients much like it did before.
Pros of gastric sleeve surgery
- Removes the part of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone (ghrelin)
- By avoiding intestinal bypass, there is less chance of intestinal blockage or vitamin deficiency
- Good “first stage” procedure for very big patients (>160kg or MBI >55kg/m2)
Cons of gastric sleeve surgery
- Potential for inadequate weight loss because no intestinal bypass is done
- Bigger patients may need to have a second stage procedure later
- Soft calories from food like ice cream can be absorbed and may slow weight loss
- Staple line leaks can occur
- Not reversible, but can be converted to a gastric bypass if necessary
- A proportion of patients develop troublesome reflux after sleeve gastrectomy
Gastric sleeve surgery is explained in more detail in our private Patient Portal.
Surgery can dramatically improve quality of life and improve medial conditions associated with obesity.*
*Perioperative Safety in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery
New England Journal of Medicine 2009;361:445-54.
Quality of Life Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery: A Systematic Review.
Obesity Surgery2016 Feb; 26(2): 395-409
