Sleeve gastrectomy, or what is more commonly known as gastric sleeve, is a type of weight loss surgery. Bariatric surgeons perform gastric sleeve surgery on obese patients to help them lose excess weight and live a healthier life.
If you think you would benefit from gastric sleeve surgery, you should speak to a qualified bariatric surgeon like Dr. Long at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery. Dr. Long performs gastric sleeve surgery at our facility just under four hours outside Memphis, Tennessee.
Gastric Sleeve Procedure
Gastric sleeve is a minimally-invasive, outpatient procedure that surgeons can perform in an hour. At Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, Dr. Long performs gastric sleeve surgery laparoscopically.
We start the gastric sleeve procedure by administering a general anesthetic to our patients. Once you are asleep and can no longer feel pain, Dr. Long will make five abdominal incisions. Through these incisions and with the aid of a laparoscope, he will surgically cut and remove two-thirds of your stomach. Dr. Long will then use surgical staples to close the remaining stomach, forming a tube-like shape.
After the procedure, the Birmingham Minimally Invasive team will provide you with pain medication and a specialized diet plan. We require patients to follow a liquid diet in the days immediately following the procedure but recommend you follow our specialized diet plan long-term.
The required hospital stays after gastric sleeve surgery are shorter because the procedure is minimally invasive. Most of our patients return home to Memphis within one day.
What Factors Should You Consider?
Sleeve gastrectomy is the most commonly performed weight loss surgery in the United States; however, this doesn’t mean it is the right surgery for you. As is true with all types of weight loss surgeries, there are benefits and drawbacks to gastric sleeve.
Benefits
- Because surgeons can perform sleeve gastrectomy laparoscopically, you can avoid large abdominal incisions that would cause greater pain and require more time to heal.
- Bariatric surgeons reduce the size and volume of your stomach during surgery.
- No foreign objects, such as bands or balloons, are permanently placed into your abdomen.
- A patient’s stomach will function regularly post-procedure, allowing you to eat most of the same foods (in smaller amounts).
- Gastric sleeve surgery reduces the amount of ghrelin, a hunger-stimulating hormone produced by your stomach. Lower ghrelin corresponds to a decreased appetite.
- Surgeons do not have to cut or alter the sphincter muscles or the pyloric stomach portion. Trauma to these areas can cause patients to experience dumping syndrome, regurgitation, heartburn, nausea, and diarrhea.
Drawbacks
- Gastric sleeve surgery is non-reversible.
- Increased food consumption can cause your stomach to stretch over time, leading to weight gain.
- Gastric sleeve is not a malabsorptive surgery.
- Individuals who experience severe acid reflux are not eligible for this surgery.
Visit A Bariatric Surgery Facility Near Memphis, TN
Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery is a state-of-the-art facility where our qualified surgeon, Dr. Long, performs bariatric surgery. We provide effective surgical options to obese patients wanting to lose excess weight.
The Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery team will walk you through every step of the process, from the initial consultation to post-operative visits. We offer gastric sleeve surgery at a competitive price and have a pricing package that covers surgical fees, office visits, monthly support groups, and more.
To schedule a consultation at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, give us a call or contact us via our online form. Our facility, located about four hours from Memphis, Tennessee, is the place you’ll want to go for safe and effective gastric sleeve surgery.
