Sydney Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

At Advanced Surgicare, Dr. V. Kuzinkovas offers sleeve gastrectomy surgery, also known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy. This advanced bariatric surgical procedure may be a suitable weight loss tool for individuals who are not appropriate candidates for other types of bariatric surgery (e.g., gastric bypass) due to specific risk factors, including a very high BMI and certain medical conditions such as anemia.

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How Gastric Sleeve Surgery Helps You Lose Weight

This type of bariatric surgery involves both a restrictive and metabolic approach to weight loss. By removing a majority of the stomach, the amount of food that a person can consume is limited. This, in turn, helps the individual lose weight gradually.

Moreover, after sleeve gastrectomy, the stomach produces less Ghrelin, a hormone that triggers the feeling of hunger, so patients experience a substantial reduction in the hunger sensation between meals.

The restriction of food intake combined with the reduction of the hunger sensation helps patients exercise more control over their eating habits and follow healthy eating principles.

It is important to note that sleeve gastrectomy surgery in Sydney is an irreversible procedure and is designed for patients who are committed to losing excess weight and maintaining their healthy body weight permanently.

Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve Operation

Dr. Kuzinkovas prefers to use the laparoscopic approach to sleeve gastrectomy surgery, because it is less invasive than the conventional “open” method. Laparoscopic surgery involves creating several small incisions in the abdominal area. Through these incisions, the Sydney weight loss surgeon inserts a long surgical instrument with a camera attached to the end (a laparoscope). The camera conveys an image of the interior of the treatment area (in this case, the abdomen) onto a video monitor in the operating room. Dr. Kuzinkovas can then watch the progress of surgery on the video screen. Using several small incisions (as opposed to the fewer, larger incisions used in the open approach) leaves less scarring and often leads to a quicker recovery period.

During the procedure, Dr. Kuzinkovas removes the outer section of the stomach, which comprises approximately 70-80 percent of the entire organ. This leaves behind a sleeve-shaped, or cylindrical, section of the stomach that has a 100-  to 150-cc volume capacity. The bariatric surgeon closes the sides of the smaller remaining stomach tube with a special stapling device.

Advantages of Gastric Sleeve Surgery

With other types of bariatric surgery, the stomach openings and nerves may be altered. With gastric sleeve surgery, however, the stomach openings and nerves leading to the stomach remain intact. This preserves the normal stomach function while decreasing the stomach size, allowing digestion to proceed as usual.

In addition, by eliminating such a large part of the stomach, the hormones that trigger the feeling of hunger are also significantly reduced.

Another advantage of this type of bariatric surgery is that there is less risk of stomach ulcers than there is with gastric bypass weight loss surgery. Also, there is no risk of band-related complications because a band is not used with sleeve gastrectomy.

Finally, because sleeve gastrectomy surgery does not require bypassing the intestinal track at all, patients have a reduced risk of suffering from bypass-related concerns, including vitamin and protein deficiencies, osteoporosis, anemia and obstruction of the intestines, among others.

What To Expect After Your Gastric Sleeve Operation

Sleeve gastrectomy surgery does not impact the digestion process, so following surgery patients can resume eating normal foods sooner than they would with other types of bariatric surgery. Initially after sleeve gastrectomy surgery (for the first four weeks), patients eat a puréed / liquid diet. Then, they progress to a diet of soft foods, which continues for another two weeks. Approximately six weeks after surgery, patients commence eating a solid, healthy diet. This dietary pattern helps the stomach slowly recover and heal after surgery.

Patients also need to be committed to changing their lifestyle. This involves doing frequent physical exercise in addition to having weight loss surgery. Provided those principles are followed, average weight loss per week after gastric sleeve is approximately 1-1 ½ kilograms until the normal weight range is achieved. The weight loss process slows down and naturally stops once the patient has lost the excess kilograms and has reached a normal body weight.

Candidacy for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Only a highly trained and experienced bariatric surgeon such as Dr. Kuzinkovas can properly establish if someone is a suitable candidate for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Nonetheless, appropriate candidates for the procedure typically include those who both have a BMI that is within the range of obesity (30+) and are committed to changing their lifestyle and eating a healthy diet to achieve and maintain their normal weight permanently. Sleeve gastrectomy is also an excellent revision treatment option for patients who were not entirely successful in their weight loss with their initial Lap Band surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy can be used as an intermediate procedure for patients whose BMI is too high for other bariatric procedures and for those who have an increased risk of surgical complications associated with gastric bypass and other types of weight loss surgery due to certain medical concerns (e.g., heart, lung conditions, anemia or many previous abdominal surgeries). Adults who have tried without success to lose weight by following a healthy diet and exercise regimen will also benefit from sleeve gastrectomy, as will those who are unable to undergo the routine follow-up appointments required with Lap-Band surgery.

Learn More About Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Sleeve gastrectomy surgery is increasing in popularity thanks to its significant restrictive and metabolic effects, helping patients achieve their healthy weight goals. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kuzinkovas or to find out if sleeve gastrectomy is right for you, contact Advanced Surgicare Clinic by calling 1300 551 533.