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

By Jessica Wood


Losing excess weight is by no means an easy undertaking. Bariatric surgeries have now been adopted widely as an option for weight loss. There are several types of these operations that exist. They include gastric banding, bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Each of them is associated with a number of advantages and disadvantages. If they have intentions of undergoing gastric sleeve surgery Houston residents need to be aware of a number of things in mind.

The sleeve gastrectomy operation may be done in isolation or may be the first stage of the more aggressive bypass procedure. To perform it, an incision is first made along the length of the stomach. A large part (between 75% and 90%) is removed which effectively converts the stomach into a tubular or sleeve-shaped organ. The next step is to close the incision area using staples or sutures.

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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