Sign In
Menu

BMI Calculator

Your BMI is :

Healthy Weight: 19 - 25 Overweight: 25 - 30 Obese: Over 30 Severely Obese: 40 or more

BMI over 35 with obesity health conditions qualifies for bariatric surgery.View Surgery Qualifications

​​​​​Sleeve Gastrectomy Weight Loss Surgery​​​

Sleeve gastrectomy patients may experience dramatic weight loss, but they have a reduced risk of developing some of the complications associated with gastric bypass. This surgery option does not reroute the intestinal tract.

 

​
This laparoscopic procedure is a restrictive surgery that removes approximately 75 percent of the stomach. In addition to limiting the amount of food a patient can consume, this reduction in stomach size results in the body producing less of the hormones that stimulate hunger. As a result, patients often experience long-term appetite suppression.

​During the sleeve gastrectomy procedure, a thin vertical sleeve of stomach is created using a stapling device. The sleeve-shaped stomach remaining is longer than the stomach pouch created during Roux-en​-Y gastric bypass — and is about the size of a banana.

Kim's Success!

Weight Lost: 185 lbs.

Comorbidity Resolutions: Blood pressure improved; medications cut in half

Surgery Type: Sleeve Gastrectomy

Read More

Advantages

  • Weight Loss. Sleeve gastrectomy patients lose 50 ​to 83 percent of their excess weight in the 12 to 24 months following surgery. 
  • Reduced Risks. Since the intestines are not bypassed and the stomach, although surgically reduced in size, operates normally, the risk for some of the complications related to gastric bypass is reduced.
  • Reduces Hunger Hormone. Because a significant portion of the stomach is removed, the production of hormones responsible for stimulating hunger is greatly reduced. Therefore, patients feel full faster with a significantly less amount of food.
  • Safer for High-risk Patients. Sleeve gastrectomy is a solution for patients with conditions that place them a​t an unacceptably high risk for other forms of bariatric surgery.

Special Considerations and Risks

  • Inadequate Weight Loss. Weight loss may not be as rapid or dramatic as for those patients who have gastric bypass. 

  • Weight Gain. Patients can hinder weight loss if they do not make the appropriate dietary changes after surgery. Soft calories from foods such as ice cream and milkshakes can be absorbed and may slow weight loss.

  • Leakage. This procedure requires the removal of a portion of the stomach, and stapling creates the smaller stomach pouch. Complications can arise if a leak forms at the staple line. This severe postoperative problem is treated with antibiotics. Many cases heal with time. However, the leak can be serious enough to require emergency surgery.​

  • Not Reversible​​. ​A portion of the​ stomach is permanently removed. Therefore, this surgery cannot be reversed, although it can be converted to gastric bypass and duodenal switch. ​

Get Answers

Find answers to all your questions about weight loss surgery here. Watch Videos

Do I Qualify

Answer 6 questions to learn if you should register for an information session. Calculate BMI

Get Started

Ready to take the first step? Register for an Information Session - Online or in person. Register