How to Know When Sleeve Gastrectomy Is the Right Option For Weight Loss

You’ve tried diets. You’ve tried exercise. You’ve tried medical support for weight loss. Still, you have a lot of weight to lose to achieve good health.

At Trinity Bariatric Institute, Dr. David Dyslin is ready to help when you’re considering an operation to address obesity. Gastric sleeve surgery is an option in which Dr. Dyslin removes the outer 85% of the stomach, leaving a long narrow stomach, which reduces the amount someone is able to eat and reduces hunger.

Your stomach is about one-tenth the size of its original, so you eat much less and still feel full. With the surgery, part of your stomach that releases hunger hormones is also removed.

Consider gastric sleeve surgery if you find any of the following affects you.

Your BMI is at least 40

BMI, or body mass index, is a calculation based on your height and weight. A BMI of 25-29 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or greater is obese. A BMI of 40 is significantly overweight — usually at least 100 pounds or more over a healthy size.

You have serious health issues associated with obesity

Obesity can lead to inflammation in your body and heighten your risk of chronic disease. If you have issues including high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and infertility associated with your weight, a sleeve gastrectomy can be a quick solution for weight loss that may just save your life.

You’ve been told you’re too obese or sick for gastric bypass

Gastric bypass surgery is a more complex procedure that may put some very obese people in danger due to possible complications. A sleeve gastrectomy is simpler, meaning it poses less of a risk to the patient: you.

After the surgery and the subsequent weight loss, you may then be a candidate for gastric bypass.

You’re concerned about nutritional status

In other weight loss surgeries, your intestines may be rerouted, potentially affecting how your body absorbs food. With sleeve gastrectomy, your intestines aren’t affected at all — so you don’t have to worry about your body absorbing essential nutrients to support healing and good health.

You’re ready for a permanent solution

A sleeve gastrectomy is a permanent solution to obesity. About 85% of your stomach is removed and can’t be restored. With other options, such as gastric banding, you have the option of reversing the surgery. A sleeve gastrectomy comes with a high success rate. You can expect to lose about 60% of your excess weight on average over 12-18 months. That means, on average, if you are 100 pounds overweight, you would lose 60 pounds!

You’re psychologically and physically prepared for surgery

When you’re ready to take a major step and commit to a new way of eating and living, gastric sleeve surgery is right for you. Dr. Dyslin evaluates your commitment to ensure surgery is the right step for you.

Physically, you need to be healthy enough to tolerate general anesthesia and the healing process. You must not be a smoker, as this can delay healing and cause other health complications during and after surgery.

A sleeve gastrectomy is a valid option for weight loss for many obese people. Consult Dr. Dyslin to find out if it’s right for you. Call today or arrange an appointment using this website.