Gastric Sleeve

What is a gastric sleeve?

A gastric sleeve, also called vertical sleeve gastrectomy, is a weight loss surgery. During the procedure, Dr. Schumacher removes 75-80% of your existing stomach, promoting substantial weight loss in two ways:

Reducing food intake

A smaller stomach allows you to feel full after eating a small amount of food. This significantly reduces the number of calories you consume, leading to weight loss.

Changing your hormones

The part of your stomach that's removed produces most of your hunger hormones. Reducing those hormones makes it easier to lose weight and keep it off because you feel less hungry.

Who qualifies for gastric sleeve surgery?

To qualify for gastric sleeve surgery (or any bariatric surgery), you need to have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or be more than 100 pounds overweight. Alternatively, you could have a BMI of 35-39 and have any of the following health problems:

• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Heart disease
• High blood cholesterol

People who want gastric sleeve surgery should have also tried to lose weight without success.

What happens during a gastric sleeve procedure?

Dr. Schumacher does laparoscopic gastric sleeve surgery, a minimally invasive procedure requiring only five tiny incisions (less than an inch each).

He inserts a laparoscope through one incision. The scope has a video camera that gives him a high-definition view of your stomach. Then he does the procedure using surgical instruments inserted through the other incisions.

Dr. Schumacher removes the stomach’s outer part, leaving a banana-shaped organ. Your new stomach is smaller but functions the same as your entire stomach because it’s still connected to the small intestine.

What are the advantages of gastric sleeve surgery?

Gastric sleeve procedures offer several benefits, including:

• Better stomach reduction compared to gastric band surgery
• No medical devices implanted
• Excellent weight loss potential with diet and exercise
• Outpatient procedure with limited risk
• No vitamin deficiencies caused by the surgery

Many patients have the gastric sleeve as an effective stand-alone procedure. However, it can also be the first step toward gastric bypass surgery in people who need to lose weight before having the more complex surgery.

Call Ohio Bariatrics and Laparoscopy or book an appointment online today if you’re ready to consider gastric sleeve surgery.