Losing Weight With Gastric Sleeve

Gastric sleeve surgery (or vertical sleeve gastrectomy) is the most common weight loss procedure performed in the US, and the most frequent bariatric surgery performed at the New Jersey Bariatric Center®.

The gastric sleeve procedure jump starts weight loss by removing a portion of the stomach and narrowing the remaining parts to the size of a banana or a thin vertical “sleeve.” A smaller sized stomach leaves you feeling fuller on much smaller portions of food and allows for normal digestion of nutrients. The procedure also causes the secretion of fewer hunger hormones – grehlins – resulting in less overall hunger leading to weight loss. Patients on average lose between 40-70% of their excess body weight as early as 12 months after gastric sleeve surgery.

How Much Weight Can I Lose With Gastric Sleeve?

lbs.
ft. in.

Health Improvements and Benefits

The gastric sleeve procedure results in sustained, long-term weight loss and improves and in some cases resolves obesity-related illnesses such as:

Type 2 Diabetes

77% of patients have resolution2

Hypertension

62% of patients have resolution2

Sleep Apnea

84% of patients have resolution2

With type 2 diabetes, many patients stop taking their diabetic or high blood pressure medication before they leave the hospital and before weight loss. With sleep apnea, there is improvement or complete resolution as weight loss results in the opening of air passages.

 

Risks

As with any surgery there are risks to weight loss procedures. When deciding whether gastric sleeve surgery is right for you, the potential health benefits must outweigh the potential risks. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), leaks from staple lines, narrowing of a passage (stenosis) are possible. To learn more about specific complications associated with gastric sleeve, visit our Risks page.

Do I Qualify for Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

To qualify for gastric sleeve surgery a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater or a BMI of 35 with obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea should exist.

Gastric Sleeve Procedure

At New Jersey Bariatric Center® gastric sleeve surgery is performed laparoscopically. Small incisions are made in the abdominal wall with instruments called trocars and the procedure is performed using a video camera (laparoscope). The surgeon removes 75-80% of the stomach, reducing the remaining part to a capacity of 3 – 4 ounces resulting in patients feeling fuller, faster with small portions of food. The procedure lasts approximately 1-2 hours and patients generally stay in the hospital for 1 day.

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Gastric Sleeve FAQs

To qualify for gastric sleeve surgery you must have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater or a BMI of 35 or greater with one or multiple obesity-related health problems such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea and high blood pressure. One of our fellowship-trained surgeons can help you determine if gastric sleeve surgery is right for you.

While all surgical procedures have risks, gastric sleeve surgery has been found to be one of the safest surgeries when compared to other surgeries. At the New Jersey Bariatric Center, our gastric sleeve procedures are done laparoscopically with small incisions to reduce the risk of complications. In general, weight loss surgery has complication and mortality rates (4% and 0.1%, respectively) comparable to some of the safest and most commonly performed surgeries in the U.S. including gallbladder surgery, appendectomy and knee replacement.

Source: Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. (2018, October). Retrieved September, 2020 from http://asmbs.org/resources/metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery

Weight loss surgery, and significant weight loss in general, reduces or resolves many obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and sleep apnea. With gastric sleeve surgery 77% of patients with type 2 diabetes, 62% of patients with hypertension and 84% of patients with sleep apnea have resolution. Decreasing excess body weight not only improves obesity-related conditions but also physical, mental and social well being. 
The gastric sleeve procedure removes more than 75-80% of the stomach, reshaping the remainder of it into a sleeve similar to the size and shape of a banana. Due to the characteristics of the procedure, a sleeve gastrectomy is unable to be reversed.

Gastric Sleeve Patient Stories

Suzanne Lost 125 Lbs.*

Brian Lost 105 Lbs.*

Timika Lost 101 Lbs.*

NJBC News

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO
START PLANNING FOR SURGERY?

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO LOSE WEIGHT?

HOW SOON CAN I RESUME SEXUAL ACTIVITY AFTER WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

Sources

  1. Gastric sleeve surgery. (n.d.). In Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved November 11, 2020, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/departments/bariatric/treatments/gastric-sleeve
  2. Metabolic and bariatric surgery. (2018, October). In American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Retrieved November 10, 2020, from https://asmbs.org/resources/metabolic-and-bariatric-surgery