6 Medical Conditions That Improve with a Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve gastrectomy is more than a trendy weight-loss surgery. People who undergo the procedure typically achieve significant weight loss, which helps improve prediabetes, high blood pressure, and other disease risk factors. Here’s why.

During a sleeve gastrectomy, Dr. Schumacher removes 75-80% of your stomach, leaving behind a banana-shaped portion that’s much smaller. This helps you feel full faster and makes it easier to achieve your weight loss goals.

See David Schumacher, MD, FACS, FASMBS, at Ohio Bariatrics and Laparoscopy in Springboro, Ohio, to determine if you’re a candidate for a sleeve gastrectomy.

Reasons to choose a sleeve gastrectomy

If you struggle to lose weight with diet and exercise, a sleeve gastrectomy helps you reach your target weight by making you feel full from fewer calories. It often results in significant weight loss over time.

A sleeve gastrectomy is minimally invasive, which means fewer scars and a quick recovery compared to more invasive treatments. It’s a step toward long-lasting weight loss and obtaining your physical and mental health goals.

Conditions that improve with sleeve gastrectomy

The following conditions often improve while losing weight after a sleeve gastrectomy:

1. High blood pressure

If you struggle with hypertension (high blood pressure), losing as little as 10 pounds may reduce blood pressure numbers and your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Because a sleeve gastrectomy is highly effective for weight loss, improved heart health is a benefit of this procedure.

2. High cholesterol

Losing just 5-10% of your initial body weight can significantly lower cholesterol levels, and a sleeve gastrectomy helps you do just that. In fact, many patients lose 60-70% of any excess weight within one year of the procedure. Making dietary changes also helps reduce cholesterol.

3. Diabetes and prediabetes

Weight challenges are a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, which is often reversible by adopting healthy habits. If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, losing just 5-10% of your initial weight can help you better manage blood sugar or have an opportunity to take fewer medications or lower doses.

4. Joint pain

Being overweight places extra pressure on your joints, so it’s no surprise that achieving a healthy weight helps reduce joint pain and improve other arthritis and gout symptoms.

For example, dropping just 10% of your body weight may cut osteoarthritis pain in half, while losing 20% of your initial weight lessens arthritis discomfort by another 25% and may slow or stop disease progression.

5. Sleep apnea

Weight struggles are a risk factor for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, which is why studies show achieving an ideal weight helps you sleep easier, feel better, and experience improved health outcomes. Undergoing a sleeve gastrectomy is an excellent way to achieve your target body and reap the benefits of better sleep and more energy.

6. Depression

Weight challenges are a risk factor for depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. In fact, studies suggest that obesity increases the risk of being depressed by 18-55%. Therefore, losing weight after a gastric sleeve procedure can enhance your mood in addition to optimizing physical health.

Is a sleeve gastrectomy right for me?

Dr. Schumacher determines which bariatric procedure you may be a candidate for by discussing your symptoms and medical history, assessing your weight and body mass index (BMI), and completing a physical exam, blood testing, or other diagnostic tests. He also reviews your target body weight and health goals.

In addition to a sleeve gastrectomy, Ohio Bariatrics and Laparoscopy also offers laparoscopic gastric band procedures, gastric bypass, duodenal switch procedures, single anastomosis duodenal switch, and apollo endoscopic overstitch.

Dr. Schumacher tailors a treatment plan that best suits you and may combine bariatric surgery with a personalized nutrition plan, exercise program, and dietary supplements if necessary.

Contact us today at Ohio Bariatrics and Laparoscopy by calling the office or requesting an appointment online to learn more about the benefits of a sleeve gastrectomy and if it’s right for you.