Gastric sleeve surgery has different effects besides reducing the volume of the patient’s stomach and restricting food consumption. While the stomach is made smaller and takes the shape of a sleeve, the part where the ghrelin hormone, also known as the hunger hormone, is secreted from the stomach is largely removed. Accordingly, the patient’s feeling of hunger decreases after the operation compared to the period before the operation. The brain feels less hungry, and with gastric sleeve, the patient’s food consumption is reduced through both mechanical and hormonal effects.
Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery a Healthy Method?
Since absorption is not interfered with during gastric sleeve surgery, the risk of facing vitamin and mineral deficiencies is reduced. Since the part of the stomach that is removed during gastric sleeve is the part where the ghrelin hormone, which triggers hunger, is secreted the most, the patient’s desire to eat decreases as well as the amount of food he/she eats.
Dumping syndrome is not experienced after sleeve gastrectomy surgery, as the procedures applied within the scope of gastric sleeve do not cause any deterioration in the mechanism that controls the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine.
It is possible to see an average of 70% to 80% improvement after gastric sleeve in obesity-related secondary diseases such as hypertension, sleep apnea and diabetes. It may be possible to convert gastric sleeve surgery to other bariatric surgery procedures if deemed necessary.
Can Gastric Sleeve Surgery Be Applied To Anyone with Weight Problems?
Gastric sleeve surgery cannot be applied to anyone with weight problems. Accordingly, people who want to have gastric sleeve surgery are expected to fulfill certain conditions. The conditions that should be met by patients who want to have gastric sleeve surgery can be listed as follows:
- Gastric sleeve surgery can be applied to patients with a body mass index of 40 and above, in other words, patients in the morbidly obese group. Body mass index can be calculated by using the formula of the square of height in current kilograms/meters for the patient.
- Gastric sleeve surgery can be performed if the body mass index is between 35 and 40, but accompanied by sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and other secondary diseases caused by overweight.
People who have excess weight problems but cannot meet the above mentioned conditions should regularly exercise and diet in order to get rid of their excess weight. Gastric sleeve surgery can be performed in cases where the risk in the current situation of the person is higher than the risk of surgery. Inability to control the disease, especially in type 2 diabetes patients, poses a significant risk for health. Thanks to gastric sleeve, type 2 diabetes is no longer a problem and the patient’s health status is improved.
Until What Age Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Performed?
Gastric sleeve surgery is a surgical procedure that is generally applied to people between the ages of 18 and 65. Of course, although this does not mean that gastric sleeve surgery can be applied to all patients between the ages of 18 and 65, it may be possible to terminate both obesity and obesity-related secondary diseases in patients in the relevant age range and with a body mass index above 35.
Patients under the age of 18 who need gastric sleeve surgery due to their very risky conditions for health can have gastric sleeve surgery, subject to the doctor’s approval and the approval of his/her family.
Likewise, patients over the age of 65 may also have gastric sleeve surgery in certain situations. Like all other patients, patients over the age of 65 should be treated sensitively when evaluating the suitability of gastric sleeve surgery, as well as the current health status of the person and the risks that the surgery may bring. In the absence of a risky situation, it is possible for patients over 65 years of age to have gastric sleeve surgery.
How Much Weight Is Lost With Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
The early period after gastric sleeve surgery is the rapid weight loss period of the patients. Especially in the first 6 months, there is usually a rapid weight loss process. However, the amount of weight to be lost may differ based on the initial weight of the patient. For this reason, although the amount of weight that each patient can lose varies, it is possible to talk about average percentiles.
Accordingly, patients generally experience:
- 10% weight loss in the first month.
- 20% of the initial weight at the end of 3 months.
- 30% of the initial weight at the end of 6 months.
