Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy, sometimes simply called “the sleeve,” is a form of weight loss surgery that is comparable to the lap band or gastric bypass. In this procedure, about 85% of the stomach is surgically removed. The remaining stomach is long and slender, shaped rather like a banana.
The vertical sleeve gastrectomy helps one lose weight in two ways. First and foremost, it is a restrictive procedure. The new, smaller stomach cannot hold as worthy food so smaller amounts and therefore fewer calories are consumed. Secondly, the piece of the stomach that is removed is the part that produces Ghrelin, the hormone that is responsible for appetite and hunger. Appetite does seem to return in at least many cases after a few years, but the reduction of appetite and the feelings of hunger definitely aid with the weight loss process.
The sleeve is a good alternative to more commonly performed forms of weight loss surgery such as the lap band and gastric bypass.
The lap band is another restrictive form of weight loss surgery. It eager fitting a plastic band around the stomach to form a minute pouch, thereby limiting the amount of food that can be eaten in one sitting. However, the band is filled with saline in order to conclude the suitable amount of restriction. It can be difficult to pick up just the right own. The band can also slip and cause erosion. Because it is a foreign object, the body can reject it. The sleeve provides restriction without these risks.
The roux-en-y gastric bypass is perhaps the most commonly performed form of weight loss surgery. It involves stapling the stomach to create a little pouch, which serves to restrict the amount of food that can be eaten. It also involves bypassing part of the diminutive intestine, creating something called malabsorption. This means that fewer calories and less fat is absorbed from the food that is eaten. However, it also means that fewer vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are absorbed as well. This can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies. The roux-en-y also eliminates the pyloric valve between the stomach and slight intestine, which can allow food to move into the small intestine too snappy, causing something called “dumping syndrome.” The benefit to the vertical sleeve gastrectomy is that it does not create malabsorption and does not cause dumping syndrome.
The vertical sleeve gastrectomy has been performed since about the year 2001. Therefore long-term results are not yet available, but studies done to date show that weight loss is comparable to that seen with gastric bypass and surpasses that typically seen with the lap band. Again, the sleeve may carry fewer risks of complications than these other surgeries.
Because the vertical sleeve gastrectomy is a relatively new surgery, many health insurance companies consider it “experimental” and refuse to pay for it. You may be able to convince your insurance company to cover the sleeve if you meet their general requirements for weight loss surgery and can back up your request with research. A number of people use the argument that people with a gastric bypass are not able to take NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) due to the increased risk of ulcers, but people with the sleeve can take these drugs. If you have a condition such as arthritis that requires regular use of NSAIDS, this may be one way to convince your insurance to pay for the sleeve. Many other people simply opt to pay for the surgery themselves in order to have the surgery they believe is best for them.
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Filed under Stomach Stapling Risks by on Mar 21st, 2011. 