Gastric Sleeve and By-Pass Surgery

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve surgery is a bariatric operation, during which approximately 80% of stomach is removed. The weight loss is achieved with more than one mechanisms. First of all, the significantly reduced stomach volume leads to less food intake, and therefore, less calories.  However, the main effect is not restricting the food intake, but the change it creates on hormones regulating the hunger, fullness and blood glucose.

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Looking at short-term results, we may say that gastric sleeve surgery, like the older method gastric bypass, is an important surgical operation both for weight loss and for complete treatment of or recovery from the metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. Moreover, likewise in gastric bypass, the metabolic effect of gastric sleeve surgery is independent from weight loss. Short after surgical operation, high blood glucose level is reduced to normal and diabetic drugs or insulin are totally or partially discontinued, even before the weight loss starts. Furthermore, gastric sleeve surgery has less complication, when comparison to gastric bypass surgery. The gastric sleeve surgery is favoured as it is a restrictive surgery, it ensures the loss 50-60% of body weight easily soon after surgical operation, it does not require change in food passage route in gastrointestinal system, it shortens the hospitalisation period, and it has a positive effect on hormones regulating hunger, fullness and blood glucose.

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Gastric Bypass Surgery

Gastric bypass surgery is an older operation method in comparison to other bariatric surgery methods. Therefore, it may be deemed as the most used bariatric surgery among others. In the first step of gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is reduced to 30 millilitres. The gastric tissue close to oesophagus and stomach junction is used. The stomach is connected to small intestine. 

Post-operative life

The most important point for these operations is that patients should know that a new life is awaiting for them in the postoperative period. Adopting a low carbohydrate-high protein diet by guidance of a nutritionist; eating little and often; properly chewing food; getting multivitamin, calcium and vitamin D supports and adding physical exercises are very important. Since patients may feel full with less food, they have no problem to adopt a new life style in the post-operative period.