Some Facts Relating To Gastric Sleeve Surgery Houston Residents Need To Know Of

By Jessica Wood


There are several options of weight loss that one can consider if they wish to shed off extra pounds. Lifestyle changes are the most commonly used approach but surgical options appear to be gaining preference as well. The methods that are most commonly used include gastric banding, sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. There are some important things on gastric sleeve surgery Houston residents need to know if they plan on having this procedure.

Sleeve gastrectomy may be used on its own or as part of the bypass procedure. The procedure itself involves the removal of a significant part of the stomach. The organ is first split along its length, the unwanted part removed and the remainder repaired using stitches or staples. Generally, the part that is removed is between 75% and 80% leaving behind a small tubular structure that can hold a limited amount of food.

The objective of performing this operation is to reduce the amount of food that an individual can consume in one sitting. With the small stomach size, there is faster filling and hence early satiety. The removal of a large section also means that the amount of gastric hormones that are released from the stomach lining will be markedly reduced. Appetite is thus reduced and the levels of glucose in the blood maintained within fairly normal ranges.

Outcomes of this surgery are satisfactory for the most part. It has been shown that as much as 50% of weight can be lost within 6 months to one year. This is almost the same as what would be seen after bypass surgery. The advantage is that the unwanted effects of bypass are not experienced. Other advantages include the fact that nerves supplying the stomach are spared and so is the valve mechanism at the lower end.

The two techniques that can be used when performing sleeve gastrectomy are the open surgical technique and laparoscopy. Laparoscopy has turned out to be the more popular option. Most of its advantages are due to the use of smaller surgical incisions as compared to those that are made when an open surgical operation is done. The benefits include less pain, a lower risk of infections and faster recovery among others.

There is a criteria that is used in selecting candidates to undergo the operation. One of them is the fact that they should have tried out lifestyle changes first. This is not a must but more of a general recommendation. The body mass index should ideally be 40 or more except in cases where the individual already suffers from weight related complications such as hypertension and sleep apnea.

There are a number of risks to this operation that exist. The more general risks include, the likelihood of excessive bleeding, injury to internal organs and infections. The more specific complications may include, for instance, leakage of food through the surgical incision on the stomach, esophageal spasms and stomach dilatation in the long term. Unlike gastric banding, the sleeve procedure is permanent and cannot be reversed if complications are encountered.

Surgery is emerging as a popular option of weight loss. The options that may be used when this option is chosen include sleeve gastrectomy, banding and bypass. Apart from your own preference, the skill and preference of your surgeon and the degree of your problem determine the type of operation to be used. Gastrectomy usually achieves desired results but has a downside in that it cannot be reversed.




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