Bariatric Surgery in Tuscaloosa

Surgical Weight Loss at DCH Regional Medical Center

Choosing to undergo weight loss surgery, also called bariatric surgery, is not one to be taken lightly. Those who qualify and are willing to make permanent choices to lead a healthier lifestyle, however, can have life-saving and life-changing outcomes.

What is Sleeve Gastrectomy?

The laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric procedure in which the surgeon removes approximately 85% of the stomach, shaping the remaining stomach into a tube or “sleeve.” It can be used as a first stage operation prior to a gastric bypass or as a standalone procedure. During the laparoscopic gastric sleeve procedure, the nerves of the stomach and the outlet valve (pylorus) are not altered, preserving the function of the stomach.

What Are the Advantages of the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Because the rest of the gastrointestinal tract anatomy is not altered apart from the stomach, the patient who undergoes sleeve gastrectomy has less of a chance of developing nutritional imbalances or dumping syndrome. Gastric sleeve surgery decreases the hunger significantly by removing the part of the stomach that produces the main stimulating hormones. Because sleeve gastrectomy is ideal for so many obese patients, it is the procedure that DCH Regional Medical Center performs and recommends to patients who qualify.

How Does Sleeve Gastrectomy Compare to Gastric Bypass?

Gastric bypass surgery is the most common form of bariatric surgery, in which the intestines are rerouted, and a small stomach pouch is created by stapling off the main body of the stomach. Food flows through this pouch, bypassing the main portion of the stomach and emptying slowly into the small intestine where it is absorbed.

More patients qualify for gastric sleeve procedures than gastric bypass, because gastric sleeve promotes rapid and long-term weight loss without implants and without rerouting the intestinal tract. This makes the surgery ideal for those who do not need something as drastic as gastric bypass. It also means that the sleeve gastrectomy is sometimes used in the morbidly obese who are not yet fit to qualify for the seriousness of gastric bypass.