Gastric Sleeve? What To Know When Considering Weight Loss Surgery

Health & Medical Blog

Obesity has traditionally been defined as weighing at least twenty percent more than the accepted ideal weight, based on actual height. The rate at which Americans are becoming obese has been steadily increasing over the past several years. According to recent statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fully 39.8 percent of adults are now considered to be obese.

Since people who are obese are more apt to experience many types of serious health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, doctors recommend that patients take steps to bring their weight back within a healthier range. For some patients, weight loss surgical procedures, such as the gastric sleeve, is an appropriate recommendation. 

If you are or someone you love is dealing with obesity and considering a gastric sleeve surgical procedure, here are some answers to some of the questions you may have about this type of weight loss surgery. 

How does a gastric sleeve work? 

The technical name for a gastric sleeve procedure is sleeve gastrectomy. This type of weight loss surgery greatly reduces the size of the stomach and the volume of food it can hold. In most cases, patients who have a gastric sleeve procedure will only be able to consume about 4 ounces of solids or liquids at each meal.

Additionally, the portion of the stomach called the fundus is also removed. Since the fundus is responsible for the secretion of the hormone ghrelin, which works to stimulate hunger, removal of the fundus can be helpful in helping patients avoid feelings of hunger even when eating much less than they did prior to the procedure. 

How will the gastric sleeve affect the process of nourishing the body? 

Because you will only be able to eat very small amounts after the procedure, gastric sleeve patients receive counseling from their medical care team to help ensure they are properly nourishing their body. Since the procedure only affects the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and not the way the body digests and utilizes the nutrients, patients who make good food choices can be assured they are getting proper nutrition.

To learn more about gastric sleeve surgery and get answers to your questions about the procedure and recovery process, as well both positive and negative aspects of the procedure, take time to have a frank discussion with your medical care team or a qualified bariatric surgeon in your area.

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16 March 2019

Take Your Health Into Your Own Hands

My name is Katie Langer. For a long time, I was bed ridden and I felt like I had no control over my life. I simply went along with what was instructed by my doctor and I didn't ask questions. It wasn't that my doctor wasn't willing to work with me, but I preferred to simply not think about the illness I was suffering from. I didn't realize that some of the symptoms I was suffering from were side effects of my medication and were not normal. After communicating more with my doctor, I was able to alleviate my symptoms. Since then, I've taken an interest in patient-doctor relationships and how to improve them.