Learn More About Vertical Gastric Sleeve Surgery

What Is Sleeve Gastrectomy / Gastric Sleeve?

The sleeve gastrectomy is an operation in which the left side of the stomach is surgically removed through minimally invasive surgery. This results in a new stomach which is roughly the size and shape of a banana. Since this operation does not involve any reconnecting of the intestines, it is a simpler operation than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch. Unlike the Lap Band procedure, a now unpopular procedure, the sleeve gastrectomy does not require the implantation of an artificial device inside the abdomen. Patients come from around the world to receive gastric sleeve surgery in Mexico with Dr. Guillermo Alvarez.

Patients Who Should Consider Gastric Sleeve

• Those who are concerned about the potential long term side effects of an intestinal bypass such as intestinal obstruction, ulcers, anemia, osteoporosis, protein deficiency, and vitamin deficiency.
• Those who are considering a Lap Band but are concerned about a foreign body inside the abdomen.
• Those who have medical problems that prevent them from having weight loss surgery such as anemia, Crohn’s disease, extensive prior surgery, and other complex medical conditions.
• People who need to take anti-inflammatory medications may also want to consider this. Usually, these medications need to be avoided after a gastric bypass because the risk of ulcers is higher.

It might also be a good option if patients have a problem with their lap band requiring revision, have already lost a lot of weight, and don’t want a full bypass. The weight loss is much higher than the Lap Band and does not require the maintenance of other procedures.

What Are The Advantages Of Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

• It does not require disconnecting or reconnecting the intestines (no dumping syndrome).
• There is no malabsorption of nutrients therefore avoiding anemia, osteoporosis, protein deficiency and vitamin deficiency.
• Only surgery that substantially removes the “hunger hormone” Ghrelin.
• It is a technically a much simpler operation than the gastric bypass or the duodenal switch.
• Dr. Alvarez and his team have an average operating time of 25 minutes for each procedure.
• There is no foreign body inside of you.
• It does not need adjustments or fills (adjustable band patients must come back for fills).
• Dr. Alvarez’s technique preserves the entrance to the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) and also preserves the exit of the stomach (pylorus) which prevents dumping syndrome.

Gastric Sleeve Corrects Lap Band Complications

If you are a patient with a previous Lap-Band procedure and you’re experiencing problems such as reflux, esophagitis, band erosion, band slippage, or port site infection you may be a candidate for “revision” surgery. This means removing the Lap Band system and performing a VSG (Gastric Sleeve) procedure. Patients in this category are very concerned about regaining their already lost weight and they will greatly benefit with the gastric sleeve procedure. At this point the gastric sleeve will not only let them maintain their weight, but will let them continue losing more weight. Dr. Alvarez, a top Mexico gastric sleeve surgery specialist, provides this effective alternative for patients around the world seeking to continue the weight loss process without the Lap Band.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Revision

The term “revision” is applied when one weight loss procedure is converted or transformed into another one. (For example; a Lap-Band system to a mini gastric bypass or to a gastric sleeve.)

Dr. Alvarez is one of the top surgeon’s performing revisions to the gastric sleeve. Approximately 40% of Dr. Alvarez’s surgeries are revisions from a previous Lap Band to a gastric sleeve.

Sleeve Gastrectomy FAQs

Why choose Endobariatric for my sleeve gastrectomy?

Dr. Guillermo Alvarez, an experienced bariatric surgeon practicing in Mexico near the Texas border, has built a solid reputation as a specialist in gastric sleeve surgery. He made this decision to specialize deliberately and methodically, weighing the costs and benefits of each available procedure. He was especially impressed by the dramatic results many of his patients achieved after gastric sleeve surgery.

Because Dr. Alvarez performs only gastric sleeve surgery, he is a master of the complex surgical techniques necessary to ensure successful outcomes. At Endobariatric, the celebrated facility founded by Dr. Alvarez, you are never rushed. He performs no more than four procedures a day, and spends ample time in quality conversations with patients, explaining the surgery, recovery and results, as well as listening to their expectations.

Is gastric sleeve a common procedure?

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery tracked the comparative popularity of bariatric surgical options from 2011 to 2015. During that time, the percentage of bariatric surgeries that were gastric sleeve procedures rose from 17.8 percent of the total to 53.8 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of lap band surgeries dropped from 35.4 to 5.7 percent and gastric bypass declined from 36.7 to 23.1 percent.

What are the benefits of sleeve gastrectomy over gastric bypass?

Because gastric bypass involves the cutting of the intestine, there is a risk of leakage of digested contents. In general, bypass has more side effects and a greater incidence of complications, such as gastric dumping, bowel obstruction, ulcers, severe hypoglycemia and post-RYGB internal hernia. It requires more time in the operating room, and there is also a greater chance that the patient will need to have follow-up surgery in the future: Within six years 65 percent of gastric bypass patients will be readmitted to a hospital, with a quarter of those suffering some degree of intestinal obstruction.

How will my diet change before surgery and during recovery?

Two weeks before sleeve gastrectomy, you’ll be on a special diet that helps reduce fat in the abdomen and shrink the size of the liver, allowing Dr. Alvarez to more easily navigate the abdomen’s internal structures with the laparoscope. Weight loss during this period correlates with safer surgery and quicker recovery. The diet is high in protein and low in carbohydrates, calories and fat. Foods that are easy to digest with few solids are advised.

After your procedure, your diet will be strictly limited to clear liquids for the first week and other types of liquids, such as fruit drinks and non-fat milk, for the second. The menu changes to pureed foods for the third and fourth weeks. By the fifth and sixth weeks, there are many foods you will now be able to eat, but all in limited amounts. In addition, high-fat and junk foods need to be avoided, which is a good habit to get into to maintain your weight loss in future years.