At NYC Hernia, Dr. Jacob is a highly respected hernia surgeon. But you may not know he also has over 18 years’ experience performing sleeve gastrectomy surgery for weight loss. In fact, Dr. Jacob has performed well over 1000 sleeve gastrectomies for patients struggling to get their life back after morbid obesity.
Here’s some more information on these procedures with Dr. Jacob.
What is sleeve gastrectomy?
Sleeve gastrectomy is performed to reduce the size of the stomach. In this surgery, the left side of the stomach is removed, and the remaining part of the stomach is pulled upwards and resealed with stitches. The result is a 75 to 80% smaller stomach that is longer and resembles a banana.
How is sleeve gastrectomy performed?
Dr. Jacob performs sleeve gastrectomy laparoscopically. This is known colloquially as “keyhole surgery” because it only requires small incisions rather than full open surgery. In weight loss procedures, Dr. Jacob can usually perform the procedure laparoscopically.
Once we make the incisions to insert the laparoscope and other needed instruments, Dr. Jacob then removes the left (you can think of it as the lower or back side) of the stomach. This allows the attachment to the esophagus to remain basically untouched, and it shrinks the stomach to about one fifth to one quarter of its original size. The now-smaller stomach is then sutured closed, the removed portion is taken out of the body, and the exterior incisions are closed.
Who can benefit from sleeve gastrectomy?
How do you know if you’re a candidate for sleeve gastrectomy? Surgery is thought of as a last resort, after all other weight loss options have been exhausted.
The problem with non-surgical weight loss programs is that they are based on some combination of diet/behavior modification, along with regular exercise. Unfortunately, most of these programs fail over time. They may result in weight loss, but not lasting weight loss. In fact, it’s estimated that less than 5% of those participating in non-surgical weight loss programs lose, and keep off, a significant amount of weight.
Sustained weight loss for those who are morbidly obese is even harder. Plus, there are some serious health risks for people jumping from diet to diet, with their weight “yo-yo-ing” up and down.
Generally, to qualify for bariatric surgery with Dr. Jacob, the patient needs to be at least 100 pounds over his or her ideal weight or have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or above. He will sometimes take a patient with a BMI of 35 or higher, but in these cases there needs to be more immediate medical need for weight reduction that can only be accomplished with surgery.
If you’re suffering from morbid obesity and have tried just about everything to lose weight, it could be time to consider a sleeve gastrectomy with Dr. Jacob at NYC Hernia. Give us a call at (212) 879-6677 to schedule a consultation.