The Easier Way to Weight Loss

by VivianGearheart

 

 

When patients are contemplating which weight loss procedure to go through with, one of the first concerns is looking for the best possible procedure that is compatible with their bodies. When discussed with a surgeon, a long and thorough analysis usually takes place, which includes the risks and benefits of certain procedures. There is also an evaluation done by the surgeon to determine what kind of surgery would suit the patient.

In the United States, it is more common for a patient to undergo a gastric bypass procedure than its latest alternative. The going rate is up to 80% while the remaining 20% undergo a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, which is relatively newer than the gastric bypass and is becoming a popular operation.
This is a restrictive procedure since it originated as part of the duodenal switch operation. While many surgeons use it as a stand-alone procedure, it is also being used as a staging process for high risk patients before they undergo a gastric bypass surgery.
A sleeve gastrectomy is performed by making five to six incisions in the abdomen while using a laparoscope or a video camera for viewing and using long instruments, which are placed through the tiny incisions. During this procedure, up to 75% of the stomach is removed and a narrow-gastric tube, or what is called a 'sleeve,' is left behind. This leaves the intestines untouched; it does not have to be removed or bypassed. The entire procedure takes an hour or two and is mostly recommended on patients with heart or lung diseases.
Once the sleeve gastrectomy is completed, the patients' stomachs shrink by limiting the amount of food that can enter. Thus, patients immediately feel full during each meal. It is also believed to decrease the appetite by reducing ghrelin or what is commonly referred to as the "hunger hormone," which is produced by the stomach. Though the duration of the effect is not yet clear to surgeons, the proof of this occurrence is through the patients' experiences of decreased hunger after going through the operation.
The success of the sleeve gastrectomy has been observed in a great number of bariatric patients. For the extreme cases where patients go through a sleeve gastrectomy as a staging procedure for the gastric bypass, it takes 12 to 18 months before the latter operation may be performed.
A gastric sleeve surgeon is not hard to come by so if a patient is seeking some medical advice, it is relatively easy to get an opinion and a second one as well. Also, sleeve gastrectomy surgery is gaining more popularity making it available in almost all hospitals. The benefits of this operation are also impressive as the weight loss can go on for up to three years. For effective weight loss procedures, it might be helpful to consider a sleeve gastrectomy.
You can find more information about gastric bypass, in many websites. Examples include: http://www.centerforweightlosssurgery.com/medial-gastric-bypass.htm