Gastric sleeve surgery is a common option for significant weight loss. Many people inquire about the specific surgical techniques involved. Understanding the method used can clarify expectations for this modern bariatric procedure.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery Explained
Gastric sleeve surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy, is a weight-loss procedure that fundamentally alters the stomach’s size. It helps individuals achieve substantial weight reduction when other methods have not been successful. The procedure works by creating a much smaller stomach, restricting the amount of food consumed. This involves removing 75% to 85% of the stomach’s volume, reshaping the remainder into a narrow, tube-like structure. This reduction also influences ghrelin production, a hormone that stimulates appetite, helping to decrease hunger.
The Minimally Invasive Approach
The term “laparoscopic” describes a minimally invasive surgical technique. In gastric sleeve surgery, it refers to performing the procedure through several small incisions rather than a single, large cut. This approach utilizes a specialized instrument called a laparoscope, which is a thin, flexible tube equipped with a tiny camera, which transmits real-time images from inside the body to a video monitor, allowing the surgeon to view the surgical field. Other small surgical instruments are inserted through additional small incisions, typically measuring around 0.5 to 1.5 centimeters. This method contrasts with traditional open surgery, which requires a much larger incision.
Performing Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Surgery
The laparoscopic gastric sleeve procedure begins under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes several small abdominal incisions, usually about five, through which narrow tubes called trocars are inserted. Carbon dioxide gas inflates the abdominal cavity, creating a working space and clear view. A laparoscope projects internal images onto a monitor for the surgical team, while specialized long, narrow instruments are inserted through the other trocars. The surgeon uses a sizing device, or bougie, to guide the creation of the new, smaller stomach, and a surgical stapler then divides and removes the majority of the stomach, leaving the banana-shaped sleeve.
Benefits of This Surgical Method
The laparoscopic approach offers several advantages over traditional open surgery. Patients experience reduced post-operative pain due to smaller incisions and shorter hospital stays, often one to two nights. Recovery times are faster, allowing patients to resume normal activities within a few weeks. While external incisions heal in two to three weeks, the internal staple line requires six to eight weeks to fully heal. Smaller incisions also result in less noticeable scarring, and the laparoscopic method is associated with a lower risk of complications, such as infection or hernia.