Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

The vertical sleeve gastrectomy is also often referred to as the gastric sleeve, it has been around for many years and this procedure is often performed by bariatric surgeons as the first procedure in a two part weight loss process.
For patients who are severely obese and have a BMI over 60, traditional gastric bypass surgery presents a high level of risk. Therefore the vertical sleeve gastrectomy is usually performed instead as this carries less risks.
After the person has lost sufficient weight, a second procedure is then carried out and this is when classical gastric bypass surgery is now performed.
However in recent years, the view of the vertical sleeve gastrectomy has changed and it is now more common that this is used as a stand-alone procedure and research has found that it is capable by itself of producing results similar to those seen with lap band surgery.
Many people are concerned and worried about lap-band surgery as it involves having a foreign body implanted into their abdomen. Therefore for these people the vertical sleeve gastrectomy can provide an attractive alternative.
Gastric bypass surgery also comes with possible long-term side effects such as obstruction of the intestine, anemia, vitamin and protein deficiency and ulcers. Therefore again the vertical sleeve gastrectomy is often an attractive alternative.
The vertical sleeve gastrectomy can be a life saver for people who suffer from Lupus, Crohn’s disease and anemia as these medical conditions mean that a person will not be able to have traditional obesity surgery.
The vertical sleeve gastrectomy provides weight loss through actually controlling how much you eat. It is therefore a restrictive form of surgery and as a result weight loss is normally slower than bypass surgery, however you are much less likely to experience any long-term side effects.
It has been found that when the vertical sleeve gastrectomy has been used as a stand-alone procedure, people with a BMI of between 50 and 60 can expect to lose around half their weight within the first year after the operation. However people with a BMI of between 30 and 40 can expect to lose two-thirds of their weight in the first year after surgery.