A Gastric Sleeve Could Be The Right Weight Loss Surgery For You

If you can't seem to lose weight or if you keep gaining instead, then weight loss surgery might be the answer. There are different types of surgery to consider, and a gastric sleeve is one you may want to discuss with your doctor. This surgery makes your stomach smaller so you get full quicker and eat less. It could be a big help when you need to diet and lose a large amount of weight. Here are some benefits of this surgery and how the procedure is done.

What Gastric Sleeve Surgery Entails

This type of weight loss surgery is permanent because a large part of your stomach is surgically removed. The pouch of your stomach is taken off so all that remains is a tube that looks like a sleeve. The surgery is done through a few incisions on your abdomen, so you don't have to be opened up to remove your stomach. The surgeon inserts tools and watches the procedure on a monitor. The smaller incisions reduce the risk of complications and make your recovery time quicker.

This surgery is done as an inpatient, and you'll need to stay a few days in the hospital for your initial recovery. Then, you'll spend about a month recovering at home, but the changes you need to make to your diet will last a lifetime since your new stomach is so small.

The Benefits Of Gastric Sleeve Surgery

With a smaller stomach, you'll get full much quicker and that helps you lose weight, but that's not the only benefit of this surgery. The part of your stomach that's removed produces hormones that drive your hunger. If you're always hungry and want to eat constantly, the elimination of these hunger hormones could put an end to your constant cravings. This further helps you to lose weight. The gastric sleeve procedure is easier to endure than a gastric bypass, so your doctor may be able to perform it when the risk is too high for a bypass due to your weight.

Sometimes, a gastric sleeve procedure is done as the first step of a gastric bypass. The sleeve helps you lose weight with the goal of reaching a weight where you can safely undergo bypass surgery. Other times, the sleeve surgery is done alone.

Your doctor evaluates your overall health, your current weight, and your history with food when determining the best type of weight loss surgery for your condition that has the greatest chance of success. While a gastric sleeve gives you the help you need to lose weight, you also need to change your diet and start exercising to help with weight loss and get fit and healthy.