When it comes to medical procedures, knowledge is power. I’ve written an e-book that details everything you could possibly want to know about gastric sleeve surgery. But before you invest a couple of hours reading that, here’s a great overview to get you started thinking about a procedure that could change your life.
Preparing for Surgery
Gastric sleeve actually starts well before the day of surgery. Patients with a BMI of 35 and above (that’s the majority of patients, by the way) will take part in a preoperative diet designed to get you ready for a successful surgery. The reason? Most obese patients have what’s called “fatty liver,” in which the organ becomes enlarged. In reducing your body weight, you’ll shrink the liver and get it in optimal shape for gastric sleeve. We recommend a liquid diet of 800 to 1,000 calories. I’m not going to lie: It’s tough to get used to at first. But there are actually quite a few options on our recommended food list—from your morning coffee to low-carb protein shakes to sugar-free gelatin.
Once you arrive in San Antonio for the procedure, we take care of everything else. You’re treated like a (royal) member of the family and experience both luxury and an extraordinary level of care. Our world-class surgery center uses state-of-the-art surgical equipment that exceeds even U.S. standards of technology and care.
The Surgery
You’ll be admitted to our hospital on surgery day and given medication to help reduce any anxiety, creating a stress-free experience from the start. At our center, the average time to complete a gastric sleeve surgery is 25 to 35 minutes. That’s not so that we can do more surgeries (I only accept three to four patients each day); this efficiency is due to performing only gastric sleeve surgeries since 2006 and perfecting my technique along the way. It’s the kind of expertise I would demand of my own surgeon! In this case, my efficiency means less time in the operating room for patients, better patient outcomes, and less risk of complications.
Because gastric sleeve is a laparoscopic “keyhole” surgery, we make tiny incisions for the camera and instruments. A calibration tube or “bougie” is introduced through the mouth and serves as a stapling/cutting guide when forming the new stomach. After we create a smaller stomach, we suture the staple line to prevent any bleeding from the surgical site and give extra support to the staples. We then perform two tests (air and dyed water) during surgery to ensure the integrity of the staple line.
What we don’t do during surgery: use drains, urinary catheters, or staples that need to be removed (they dissolve). The less we “mess” with your body, the easier and less painful recovery tends to be.
After Surgery
When you’re ready, our highly experienced medical staff will take you back to your private room, which is outfitted for your comfort and the comfort of your guest. Recovery from gastric sleeve is typically fast; you’ll be walking soon afterward and can go back to work in as few as five days. Leaks are very uncommon at Endobariatric; my leakage rate is 0.32 percent in over 11,500 patients. In the rare event that a leak happens in the period right after gastric sleeve, we whisk the patient back into surgery for a quick fix.
During the day or two you’ll remain with us, you’ll discover why patients rave about our post-op care. You won’t be doing much—mostly sucking on ice and walking short distances—but you’ll be surrounded by doctors and nurses who are dedicated to the long-term health and successful recovery of our patients. And prepare to be spoiled with care and attention while we skillfully monitor you.
So that’s the bite-sized version of a complete guide to gastric sleeve at Endobariatric. If you’re ready to learn more, our team will be delighted to share my free e-book with you, just click the link below
We invite you to visit our website www.endobariatric.com and see for yourself what we have done here in Endobariatric for thousands of patients with more than satisfactory results, you can check it with the images that we have on “Before and after” of our patients with surprising changes.
Also we invite you to follow us on all our social networks, we are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, we also have our YouTube channel where I’m the host of the #AskDrA Show, where I (Dr. Alvarez) answer frequently asked questions that are sent to me with the Hashtag #AskDrA, subscribe to it! we talk about very interesting subjects.
If you want a more personalized experience and you have Snapchat, follow me (Dr.Alvarez) to see my day both in my daily routine and in the operating room, add me! We will have a great time! My username is: gmoalvarez.
“Changing lives…one sleeve at a time”.
