Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe

Like any other surgery the sleeve gastrectomy comes with risks, and if you are considering this procedure to help you lose weight, your first question will probably be: Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe?  The short answer is Yes, the gastric sleeve surgery is safe, and there are very few side effects with an extremely low risk of complications occurring.

On this page, we will help to alleviate some of your concerns regarding the gastric sleeve procedure by giving you some more information about the gastric sleeve procedure and its effects, and provide you some information to help you answer that question: Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe?

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Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe?

The short answer is Yes. There are risks with this surgery, but those risks are small, and are minimal compared to the health benefits of gastric sleeve surgery. This type of weight loss procedure is modestly invasive, which means there are not a lot of incisions, and very little is done other than reducing the size of the stomach. The gastric sleeve does not entail the use of any foreign materials or objects that will be placed inside the body, unlike that of the lap band procedure which may lead to an infection and other life threatening problems. It is however important that you take note of the accompanying risks of this type of weight loss procedure, because it is, after all, surgery that you will be undergoing, so it is better to be well acquainted with the whole process before committing to the surgery.

What Part Of The Stomach Will Be Removed?

The part of the stomach that is removed is the larger left side, known as the greater curvature. The gastric sleeve procedure means a reduction in the stomachs pouch size through laproscopic means, which makes this surgical procedure minimally invasive. It is very important to note that this treatment is not reversible – once that portion of the stomach has been removed, it cannot be surgically replaced, so again, you should understand the process before going ahead with the surgery.

The operation involves the removal of 60- 80% of the stomach and leaving behind a small tube or a ‘sleeve’. Remarkably, this procedure will take away a part of the stomach that produces a hormone called Ghrelin which kindles the feeling of hunger. The feeling of hunger and cravings are thus reduced which will result in the reduction of weight.

Does A Gastric Sleeve Come With Less Risk?

Yes. Unlike the gastric band procedure, the gastric sleeve has significantly less risk. But it is still important if you are well informed on the procedure. Even though it is very rare for the risks to come about with this kind of procedure, there have been atypical cases where excessive bleeding has been documented with certain patients. As the way this type of procedure is executed, it is not likely to happen. One other notable adverse reaction of this kind of surgery is nausea, which is the case whenever general anaesthesia is used.

Is The Gastric Sleeve The Safest Option?

The gastric sleeve is one of the safest types of weight loss surgery today. No foreign objects will be left inside the body like the gastric banding. Also, the small intestines will not be bypassed, so you will be assured that you will ingest food normally. All the nutrients will be readily absorbed and there is a extremely small chance of having any type of malabsorption issues.

In the multiple studies on the results and effectiveness of the gastric sleeve, the possibilities of succumbing to any sort of life threatening complications is very minimal. That is why this is the weight loss surgery of choice when trying to eliminate that excess weight through a surgical procedure.

Another fact you should keep in mind is that people who do not qualify for a gastric bypass will qualify for a gastric sleeve. A gastric bypass is a very serious procedure, and it comes with many risks. If you are obese, which most people considering bariatric surgery are, then you are at an even higher risk for any type of surgery. However, those obese people who won’t qualify for the bypass have a gastric sleeve done first. Once they have lost weight, they are at a much lower risk, and can then qualify for other types of bariatric surgery that they wouldn’t have qualified before getting a gastric sleeve.

Are There Side Effects?

Yes, there are some side effects but they are minimal. Despite the fact that there have been documented cases of people suffering from the side effects of the sleeve procedure or the anesthesia, the effects of those side effects were manageable and non-life threatening. If you are looking for the safest and most effective surgical procedure to get rid of that unwanted weight, then you might want to consider the gastric sleeve surgery.

Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe – Summary

Even though this type of procedure is somewhat new, it is generally seen by many bariatric surgeons as one of the best options for overweight people who have exhausted all the available options. Even with the risks of surgery present when undergoing through this kind of procedure, the gastric sleeve surgery has still the least amount of downsides, complications, and side effects when compared to the other types of weight loss surgeries. It is minimally invasive, and can help you lose up to 85% of the excess weight safely. The gastric sleeve is one of the safest ways to lose weight, but for more information, speak with your doctor or bariatric surgeon and ask them Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe.