Gastric Sleeve surgery has traditionally been performed as a first stage of a two stage weight loss surgery for patients who were extremely obese.
The exciting news is the use of the Gastric Sleeve surgery as a stand-alone obesity surgery for patients with lower BMI’s. These patients can now also consider having Gastric Sleeve surgery. It is a safe and effective alternative to gastric bypass surgery and lap band surgery.
The Gastric Sleeve works in two ways to reduce weight. The first stage of the Gastric Sleeve surgery is the creation of a tube out of the stomach by removing a large portion of the stomach and stapling it. This then restricts the volume of food that can be eaten at any time. It
The second reason for the outstanding success of the Gastric Sleeve Surgery is that when a large portion of the stomach is removed, it greatly decreases the production of Ghrelin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes people feel hungry, it slows metabolism, and decreases the body’s ability to burn fat. By reducing the this hormone it limits hunger carving.
For these reasons it is believed by many doctors that Gastric Sleeve Surgery is a superior weight loss surgery.