Gastric Sleeve Surgery
What is Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery (also known as a sleeve gastrectomy, a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, or VSG) involves surgically removing a large portion of the stomach, to reduce stomach volume from approximately 30-40 ounces to approximately 3-4 ounces. Over time, the gastric sleeve will expand to approximately 6-8 ounces.
Dr. Nusbaum uses state-of-the-art technology to complete his gastric sleeve operations. They are typically completed using laparoscopic or advanced robotics, using small incisions. The operation typically takes 1-2 hours and is performed in the hospital. Patients generally stay in the hospital for 1 day and can return to work in 1-2 weeks.
Why Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Reasons to consider sleeve gastrectomy include the following:
- A sleeve gastrectomy by Dr. Nusbaum is highly effective for weight loss – similar to gastric bypass
- Sleeve gastrectomies are an established weight loss procedure and have been proven safe and effective for over 15 years
- A sleeve gastrectomy surgery performed by Dr. Nusbaum is a minimally invasive surgery, using a laparoscopic or robotic approach
- Gastric Sleeve surgeries are relatively low risk – lower risk than gastric bypass surgery
- High patient satisfaction –Dr. Nusbaum’s patients love the outcome of sleeve gastrectomy!
Patients and surgeons commonly choose gastric sleeve surgery over alternative weight loss surgeries. Currently, 70-75% of all first-time weight loss surgeries in the United States are gastric sleeve operations.
Gastric Sleeve Weight Loss in New Jersey
In most cases, when Dr. Nusbaum performs a gastric sleeve surgery, weight loss after gastric sleeve surgery is generally fast and dramatic and occurs over 1-1.5 years. According to many published studies on gastric sleeves, gastric sleeve patients lose an average of 60-80% of their excess weight after surgery, and maintain, on average, most of their initial weight loss long-term.*
How Does Sleeve Gastrectomy Work?
Sleeve gastrectomy surgery causes weight loss by restricting food intake, and by changing the biology of weight regulation. Weight loss without surgery (diet and exercise programs) is hard to achieve, and virtually impossible to maintain, because of biologic mechanisms that work to maintain body weight and prevent weight loss. Sleeve gastrectomy surgery changes this biology. In effect, surgery resets the bodyweight “set-point” to a lower weight. This biology change is what makes long-term weight loss possible after surgery, and what makes gastric sleeve surgery (and gastric bypass surgery) so compelling!*
Why Choose Nusbaum Weight Loss Center for Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Gastric sleeve surgeons and programs are not all the same. Different surgeons and programs have different ways of doing surgery (e.g. sleeve size, dimensions) as well as patient care (patient education, patient follow-up, patient support). It is important to note that these differences will result in different patient outcomes. There are numerous published studies make it clear that some surgeons and programs achieve much better weight loss results and much lower complication rates than others.*
In Dr. Nusbaum’s view, the obvious best way to choose a surgeon and program is by actual patient outcomes – weight loss and complication statistics. Other parameters (convenience of location, online reviews, word-of-mouth, insurance, etc.) are just not reliable indicators of quality and performance.
Dr. Nusbaum’s #1 goal, since starting his career has been to achieve the best outcomes possible for his patients. For the outcomes that matter most – weight loss, early major complications (e.g. leak), and late complications (e.g. acid reflux) – Dr. Nusbaum’s statistics beat the industry benchmarks, often by a very wide margin.*
How does Dr. Nusbaum achieve excellent, industry-leading sleeve gastrectomy patient outcomes? By always prioritizing quality surgery and quality patient care (patient education, patient follow-up and patient support).*
More About Gastric Sleeve Surgery
As discussed above, the vertical sleeve gastrectomy operation involves surgically removing a large portion of the stomach, to reduce stomach volume from approximately 30-40 ounces to approximately 3-4 ounces. Over time, the gastric sleeve will expand to approximately 6-8 ounces.
Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Recovery
Because the gastric sleeve operation is minimally invasive, recovery is generally rapid. Patients typically are discharged from the hospital the day after surgery and return to work in 1-2 weeks. Gastric sleeve patients remain on a liquid diet for 2-3 weeks after surgery, and then slowly transition onto solid foods.
Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Follow-Up
Gastric sleeve surgery is a tool that must be used appropriately to achieve solid long-term success. Using the surgical tool effectively requires education, guidance, and support. A primary purpose of follow-up after surgery is to get the education, guidance, and support that will enable maximum weight loss success for you.
How Dr. Nusbaum Does Gastric Sleeve Follow-Up
Dr. Nusbaum prioritizes frequent follow-up early after surgery. He generally sees patients after surgery at 1 week, 2 weeks, 5 weeks, and then monthly until weight loss progress is such that goal weight will be achieved at 1 year. Because the body adapts to the gastric sleeve over time (the sleeve gets bigger), it is important for patients to take advantage of the early months after surgery to lose as much weight as possible. Not taking full advantage of the early restriction will limit ultimate weight loss. When patients come in for follow-up, Dr. Nusbaum evaluates whether weight loss progress is on track for achieving goal weight. Based on this, Dr. Nusbaum can discuss with patients what changes should be made, and what goal weight should be for the next visit. Frequent follow-up early after surgery is one of the key reasons why Nusbaum Weight Centers gastric sleeve weight loss statistics are significantly better than the industry averages.*
OTHER SURGICAL WEIGHT LOSS SOLUTIONS
Gastric sleeve surgery (also known as a sleeve gastrectomy, a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, or VSG) involves surgically removing a large portion of the stomach, to reduce stomach volume from approximately 30-40 ounces to approximately 3-4 ounces. Over time, the gastric sleeve will expand to approximately 6-8 ounces.
Dr. Nusbaum uses state-of-the-art technology to complete his gastric sleeve operations. They are typically completed using laparoscopic or advanced robotics, using small incisions. The operation typically takes 1-2 hours and is performed in the hospital. Patients generally stay in the hospital for 1 day and can return to work in 1-2 weeks.
Gastric bypass weight loss surgery makes the stomach smaller and causes food to bypass the majority of the stomach and first part of the small intestine. Patients feel full more quickly* than when the stomach was its original size. This reduces the amount of food you can eat at one time.
In normal digestion, food passes through the stomach and enters the small intestine, where most of the nutrients and calories are absorbed. It then passes into the large intestine (colon), and the remaining waste is eventually excreted.
In gastric bypass, only a small part on the top of the stomach is used to create a new stomach pouch, roughly the size of an egg. The smaller stomach is then connected directly to the middle portion of the small intestine (jejunum), bypassing the rest of the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine (duodenum). The procedure results in reduced calorie and nutrition absorption*.
The Gastric Bypass, Realize Band, Lap-Band and Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery can now potentially be performed through a single incision. The ability to do so uses cutting edge technology which falls under the title of Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) which has been trademarked by Covidian. While recovery after weight loss surgery is not significantly different than conventional multi-incision laparoscopic surgery, the cosmetic results are by far superior.
Benefits include:
- Fewer Incisions – Typically patients receive one incision.
- Health and Cosmetic – With fewer incisions there is less chance of infection, less scarring and better cosmetic results.
- Faster Recovery Times – Same day as the surgery with even shorter recovery time*.
With the lap-band procedure, the amount of food your stomach can hold is reduced without any staples or cuts. You will eat less while feeling satiated longer*. Your stomach is divided into an upper and lower pouch, with the upper pouch being much smaller. It does not change the way your digestion works, and after six weeks, you will begin regular adjustments to the band.
This procedure is minimally invasive and the procedure can be reversed. It has the lowest risk for complications and nutritional deficiencies*. However, there are some risks involved, which include an infection, bleeding, moving or erosion of the band, and leakage. These risks are minimized by strictly following aftercare instructions and diet restrictions while keeping up with follow up exams.
The Realize Band is the second gastric band to be approved by the FDA for weight loss in the United States. The Realize Band is made of a strong, flexible silicone. During surgery, the band is completely wrapped around the upper part of your stomach. This creates a small pouch and a narrow passage to the lower stomach. This small passage delays the emptying of food from the pouch and causes a feeling of fullness.
The upper pouch can hold only about 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of food. As a result, you eat less food at one time, feel full sooner, and feel satisfied longer. The goal is to lose weight gradually, at a healthy rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week.*
The purpose of an adjustment is to ensure that you feel satisfied when you eat and that you are losing weight gradually*, about 1-2 pounds per week*. This illustration describes adjusting to optimize weight loss. The gastric band journey is different for each patient*, with no set number of adjustments or fill volume. However, each patient is striving to achieve common goals: a point of prolonged satiety and satisfactory weight loss or maintenance.
Revision Weight Loss Surgery is a surgical procedure that is performed on patients who have already undergone a form of bariatric surgery, and have either had complications from such surgery or have not successfully achieved significant weight loss results from the initial surgery. Procedures are usually performed laparoscopically, though open surgery may be required if prior bariatric surgery has resulted in extensive scarring.