Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), known more commonly as ‘sleeve gastrectomy,’ is a minimally invasive technique that drastically influences weight loss and impacts a patient’s quality of life. It has become one of the most common procedures performed besides Gastric Bypass for weight loss.
The sleeve gastrectomy’s primary function is to allow for smaller portions of food while promoting the feeling of “fullness” faster than conservative measures. This surgery utilizes a laparoscopic technique that involves making small incisions throughout the abdomen, where 75% of the patient’s stomach is detached permanently and removed through one of the incisions. The patient is then left with a stomach shaped like a banana, allowing only small amounts of food to be consumed.
To qualify for bariatric surgery, the patient’s body mass index (BMI) must be greater than 40, or be between 30 – 40 with obesity-related conditions such as high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.
Patients should refrain from driving for five days after surgery and from lifting more than 20 pounds, but can usually return to a sedentary type job within 1 – 2 weeks. Patients that partake in more rigorous work should discuss options with LI Obesity surgeon or Physician Assistant. Drinking carbonated beverages and drinking from straws are discouraged after surgery. While pregnancy is possible after bariatric surgery, we encourage you to hold off for two years post-surgery. This allows ample time for effective weight loss and adjustment to the new lifestyle. Due to bariatric surgery, conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, gastric reflux, urinary stress incontinence, and degenerative joint disease are eliminated or significantly reduced. Bariatric surgery also provides a significant improvement in survival, compared to conventional weight-loss treatments. When one considers the improvements in life expectancy, resolution of severe chronic diseases, improvements in quality of life, and reduction in risk of cancer, there is hardly a procedure or medication in the history of medicine that can equal bariatric surgery.If you would like more information on a VERTICAL SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY or would like to schedule a consultation to discuss if this procedure is right for you, call our office, (631) 351-2024.
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