Gastric Sleeve Surgery Pros and Cons – Everything You Need to Know

Among weight loss surgery options available out there, gastric sleeve surgery is, perhaps, one of the most popular ones. The operation has helped a lot of people to lose their excess body weight fast. However, it is important to know the advantages and disadvantages of the procedure before you set your mind to do it. Get to know more about the gastric sleeve surgery pros and cons on the following page.

What Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

It can be said that gastric sleeve surgery is a surgical weight loss that involves a procedure to insert small instruments to the upper abdomen through multiple small tools. This is aimed to remove about 80% of the patients’ stomachs. As a result, patients will have a tube-shaped stomach as small as a banana, with a similar shape as well. During the procedure of gastric sleeve surgery, surgical staplers, just like the one in a gastric bypass are used. However, the operation doesn’t require the arranging of gastrointestinal anatomy.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Pros and Cons

Pros

There are some gastric sleeve surgery pros that make the procedure more popular.

1. Highly Effective

The gastric sleeve operation is considered very effective to remove excess fats from the body. The success rate of the procedure, even reaches 85% so far. Generally speaking, the gastric sleeve procedure has helped people with obesity to lose weight up to 60%. Interestingly, the process can be completed just within 12 months after the procedure.

2. More Convenience

One of the good things about this gastric sleeve procedure is quite convenient. During the operation, patients can be asleep completely, thanks to the undergo anesthesia conducted.

3. Simpler

Gastric sleeve surgery is also considered simpler than most weight loss procedures like gastric bypass. When laparoscopy is performed, this surgery also only comes with minimum side effects. Furthermore, gastric sleeve surgery also uses very small instruments.

4. Quick Recovery

The gastric sleeve procedure also allows patients to recover quickly, thanks to the tiny surgical incisions used. Patients with comorbid such as cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea also show fast recovery. The symptoms of their illnesses are known to improve quickly.

5. Fewer Dietary Complications

Unlike gastric bypass, the dietary complications caused by gastric sleeve procedures are also fewer. Furthermore, there is no dumping syndrome associated with the procedure. In this gastric sleeve surgery, there are also no foreign objects implanted in the patient’s body during the procedure.

Cons

Despite the advantages, some gastric sleeve surgery cons are also known.

1. Feel More Thirsty

After getting their consciousness back from the anesthesia performed, patients tend to feel thirsty. However, they can’t drink or using their mouth to take anything. It is only soft foods and liquids that can be consumed by the patients during the first few weeks after the operation.

2. Sore Throat and Bleeding

Another disadvantage of gastric sleeve surgery is that the patients might suffer from sore throat just after the procedure. This condition is caused by the breathing tube used during the operation. Also, the patients might experience leaking at the staple lines, causing bleeding on these areas.