Some Facts Relating To Gastric Sleeve Surgery Houston Residents Need To Know Of

By Jessica Wood


There are many options that can be used in losing weight. One of the methods that has gained a lot of popularity in recent times is weight-loss surgery. Examples of surgical procedures that may be conducted include sleeve gastrectomy, bypass surgery and gastric banding. Each of these procedures has associated advantages and disadvantages. If they have plans of having gastric sleeve surgery Houston patients need to understand a number of things.

The sleeve gastrectomy operation may be done in isolation or may be the first stage of the more aggressive bypass procedure. To perform it, an incision is first made along the length of the stomach. A large part (between 75% and 90%) is removed which effectively converts the stomach into a tubular or sleeve-shaped organ. The next step is to close the incision area using staples or sutures.

The objective of performing this operation is to reduce the amount of food that an individual can consume in one sitting. With the small stomach size, there is faster filling and hence early satiety. The removal of a large section also means that the amount of gastric hormones that are released from the stomach lining will be markedly reduced. Appetite is thus reduced and the levels of glucose in the blood maintained within fairly normal ranges.

Most of the people who undergo the operation have impressive outcomes. The proportion of excessive weight lost within 6 months to one year approaches 50% if it is done successfully. This effect is similar to what would be achieved with gastric bypass but the advantage is that the unpleasant side effects of bypass are avoided. Another major advantage of gastrectomy is that the stomach innervation is spared and so are the valve mechanisms.

The two techniques that can be used when performing sleeve gastrectomy are the open surgical technique and laparoscopy. Laparoscopy has turned out to be the more popular option. Most of its advantages are due to the use of smaller surgical incisions as compared to those that are made when an open surgical operation is done. The benefits include less pain, a lower risk of infections and faster recovery among others.

A typical candidate is an individual who has excess weight and has been unable to manage it using lifestyle options. They should have a body mass index of not less than 40 but lower values are acceptable if the person already suffers from obesity related complications such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure and diabetes. Another important consideration is that major risks to the operation should not exist.

Some potential complications to this operation exist. Some are complications that may be seen with any surgical operation while others are specific of this operation. The general complications include injury to other organs, excessive blood loss and infections. More specific complications include leakage of digested food, gradual stomach dilatation and esophageal spasms. The procedure cannot be reversed even when complications set in.

There are several types of weight loss surgery that exist. The choice is determined by factors such as the magnitude of problem, skill of the surgeon as well as patient preference. Sleeve gastrectomy is among those that are commonly performed. It is a procedure that has satisfactory results in the majority of people but has a major downside in the fact that it is not reversible.




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