SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY
This procedure is a restrictive procedure that changes the shape and size of the stomach. The surgeon removes approximately two-thirds of the stomach; thus, the stomach is reshaped into a long tube, or “sleeve.” After the procedure, the stomach is about the size and shape of a banana and resembles a sleeve.
WHY CHOOSE SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY
The procedure:
- restricts food intake by allowing only a small amount of food to be consumed in a single sitting, providing a quicker sense of fullness and decreased appetite
- does not require the surgeon to implant a foreign body such as the band used in gastric banding
- decreases the secretion of the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety (fullness)
- initially decreases the body weight of the severely obese patient to prepare this patient for a staged procedure or other surgery at a later time
