What is Gastric Sleeve?

Gastric sleeve gastrectomy (stomach reduction) surgery is one of the methods applied in obesity and metabolic surgery. In the operation, the stomach is reduced in volume. During the surgery, a large part of the stomach is removed by laparoscopic surgery. Since the remaining stomach resembles a tube in appearance, the procedure is called sleeve gastrectomy surgery.

Who is this for?

People who have BMI more than 35

People without diabetes

People who are not addicted to sugary foods, alcohol or acidic beverages

Treatment Duration

40-70 Minutes

How is Gastiric Sleeve operation performed?

Stomach reduction surgery can be applied to people who have excessive weight problems for various reasons and whose health and life are severely affected because of this. There are many obesity and metabolic surgery operations performed for this purpose. Gastric Sleeve (Tube Stomach) is one of these methods.

The procedure is performed with the patient under the influence of general anesthesia. The operation is carried out by laparoscopic surgical methods. It is carried out by entering through the holes opened with small incisions on the abdomen, surgical instruments and a surgical monitoring camera. The operator watches the images projected by the surgical monitoring camera on a screen and performs the surgery under these conditions. During the procedure, approximately 80% of the patient's stomach is removed.

During the operation, the “fundus” region of the stomach is removed. The shape of the remaining stomach resembles a tube, the name of surgery comes from this process. After the fundus area is removed, the hormone called “Ghrelin” secreted from this area is also automatically eliminated. Ghrelin is the hormone that gives a person the feeling of hunger. In the absence of this hormone, the feeling of hunger is reduced and the person maintains his or her weight.

The operation time is around 1 hour. After the procedure, people are monitored in the hospital for an average of 2 days.

Who can have Gastric Sleeve (tube stomach) operation?

The procedure is a method that provides a great deal of weight loss in people. However, this surgery is not performed for reasons of aesthetic concern. Gastric sleeve surgery is applied if the person's excess weight is in a condition that will adversely affect his health despite diet, sports and lifestyle changes. After the necessary tests and controls are done by the doctor, surgery can be considered. The operation can be applied to people who meet various conditions. Some of these conditions are:

· Body mass index measurement value of 40 and above

· Having a body mass index (BMI) value between 35 and 40, and having a chronic disease (such as diabetes, high blood pressure) that accompanies it

· Having the necessary health condition for the operation to take place

People between the ages of 18-65 who have at least one of these conditions can have gastric sleeve surgery if their doctor deems it necessary. In some special cases, the operation can be applied to every age group.

Who is not suitable for this surgery?

In some cases, although the person has weight values suitable for the operation, surgery may not be suitable for these people. Many factors can cause this situation. A few of these factors are:

· Cancer

· Alcohol or drug addiction

· The patient will not be able to apply the necessary diet and exercises in the post-operative period.

· The fact that the individual has a body that cannot afford the surgery

· Having severe metabolic and hormonal disorders

· People who have one or more of these factors cannot have gastric sleeve surgery for stomach reduction.

Contribution of Gastric Sleeve Operation to Weight Loss

In the first 5 years, a weight loss of up to 60% can be seen. However, 20-25% of patients who do not pay attention to the recommendations of the doctor and dietitian have a chance to regain weight after the operation. For this reason, it is of great importance that the doctor checks regularly and that the patient adapts to the diet, exercise and lifestyle given after the surgery.

What are the risks of the surgery?

· Absorption Disorders

· Bleeding or leakage (about 1-2% chance)

· Infection formation

Recovery Process After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

After the operation, the patient is tested for leakage and it is investigated whether there is any leakage. Each patient undergoing the procedure is kept under observation in the hospital for 2-3 days. After discharge, if the person has complaints of abdominal pain or fever of unknown origin, he should consult a doctor without delay.

Nutrition and Exercise After Process

It is necessary to follow the diet prescribed by the doctor in order to get full efficiency from the stomach surgery and to prevent post-operative weight gain. High-calorie snacks consumed other than main meals can cause adverse effects. Therefore, these snacks should be avoided.

Exercises can be started three months after the procedure. However, these exercises should not be too challenging for the person. In order to lose more weight, extra and tiring exercises should not be done other than the exercises given by the doctor. Lifting very heavy weights or high-paced cardio exercises can prevent the desired results from being achieved.