In November’s blog, we got into some of the basics of sleeve gastrectomy, a weight loss surgery performed by Dr. Jacob for patients from across the New York area.
At NYC Hernia we get lots of questions about this procedure, so let’s get into it a little bit more in this first blog of the New Year.
What is sleeve gastrectomy?
To reiterate what we’re talking about, sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive form of bariatric surgery that effectively shrinks the stomach to approximately 15 percent of its original size. In these procedures, Dr. Jacob sutures the stomach into the shape of a tube or sleeve, hence the surgery name.
Why is a sleeve gastrectomy a better procedure?
Some bariatric surgery procedures are quite complex, and they have higher associated risks because of their complexity. Dr. Jacob is a fan of sleeve gastrectomy for our patients looking for serious weight loss because the procedure is pretty straight forward, and it offers these additional benefits for patients:
- No malabsorptive complications
- No gastric dumping syndrome
- Less hunger
- No foreign bands or tubes remain in the body
All sorts of weight-related medical problems can resolve once a patient has gastric sleeve surgery. These may include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, severe sleep apnea, heart disease, and asthma, among others.
Another plus to this particular method of weight loss surgery is that, should the patient require more aggressive weight loss later, a revision surgery such as a gastric bypass or the placement of a gastric band can still be performed.
What are the risks associated with sleeve gastrectomy?
All weight-loss surgeries may increase the risk for the patient developing gallstones. Because of this, a cholecystectomy, a surgery to remove the gallbladder, may be performed at the same time as the sleeve gastrectomy is performed.
There are other risks with this surgery:’
- Inflammation of the stomach
- Heartburn, or stomach ulcers
- Gastric leakage
- Scarring in the abdomen
Do you wonder if weight loss surgery would be a good plan for you? Call Dr. Jacob at NYC Hernia, (212) 879-6677, to schedule a consultation.
