What's the sleeve procedure like?
In this video, director of the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Program Dr. Noel Williams, nurse practitioner Jacqui Zipay, and program manager Colleen Tewksbury explain how a sleeve gastrectomy works.
A vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) reduces your stomach size to three or four ounces. The surgery limits the amount of food you can eat to help you lose weight. Also, levels of ghrelin (a “hunger” hormone) drop, so you appetite is initially reduced.
Possible Advantages
- Reduced hunger
- Restricted portions
- Less of a risk of malabsorption
- No dumping syndrome
- Durable weight loss
- Improvement or complete resolution of more than 40 weight-related diseases
Possible Disadvantages
- Ulcers from smoking or NSAID use
- Stricture or narrowing of sleeve
- Less weight loss than gastric bypass on average
- Gastroesophageal reflux
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