Is it true that gastric sleeves can influence life expectancy? How safe is this procedure? It’s very complicated? These and other questions often cross the minds of patients when they contemplate the idea of getting bariatric surgery to eliminate excess weight more effectively.
So today we are going to answer some of the most frequent questions about gastric sleeve surgery and the way it can affect a person’s life. This way it will be easier to clear any groundless fears produced by the lack of information about this and other bariatric procedures.
What is the gastric sleeve?
Roughly speaking, we can say that it’s a procedure to help patients lose excess weight. Commonly, this and other similar techniques are known as bariatric surgeries, and depending on the needs of the patient, this or other techniques are recommended.
This procedure consists of making a division in the stomach, so it’s divided into two parts and the residual part can be extracted. During the procedure, the surgeon will remove three-quarters of the stomach, which secure that only a small part remains.
Removing about 85% of the stomach is not only helpful to making the patient feel full on less food. It also provides other benefits such as the decrease in the production of ghrelin, a hormone responsible for producing the feeling of hunger, which in turn promotes weight loss.
After the surgery, the patient stays for a few days under observation to verify that the recovery is going as planned. In addition, the doctor will prescribe special medications to prevent nausea and pain, and all the necessary care is provided so the patient can move and drink fluids without vomiting.
In other words, the patients have the security they can count on the support of health professionals all the time. Also, during the gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana recovery process, you can request the support of your surgeon if you have any concerns.
What benefits does the gastric sleeve have?
All surgical procedures have pros and cons, which must be considered before making the decision to get one of them. In the case of gastric sleeve, as it’s a minimally invasive procedure, it’s usually quite safe and has the advantage of reducing excess weight quickly.
Another benefit that this procedure provides is that nutrient absorption is usually not affected, as the digestive system continues to work normally. Therefore, only general vitamin supplements are usually recommended.
In addition, dumping syndrome, a condition caused by nutritional complications, is uncommon. For those people who are quite overweight, later it can favor other malabsorptive interventions that help to further reduce the size of the stomach.
Being a procedure that can provide several benefits, it’s usually recommended for patients between 18 and 65 years of age. Who have a BMI higher than 40, or in cases having a BMI between 35 and 39, also have conditions that commonly occur with obesity, such as diabetes and hypertension.
But this is something that varies for each patient so it’s necessary for the bariatric surgeon to examine the patient’s condition, to determine whether or not to continue with the surgery.
Facts you need to know about the gastric sleeve
Although the gastric sleeve is an excellent alternative to treat obesity in patients with excess weight, not everything is good news about this procedure. Like with any other procedure, there are disadvantages to be aware of, such as having to eat very slowly after surgery.
Another important point is that it cannot be reversed, and it’s not a definitive solution but rather an extra help. In other words, it should be considered as a tool that can help the patient to lose weight as long as the patient maintains good habits such as eating healthy and exercising.
In case these healthy habits are not respected, then it’s possible that in a period of approximately 5 years the weight will be recovered.
In some cases, the patient may have to get a second surgery to complement the treatment. Sometimes this second procedure is a mixed technique, because it’s more effective, as in the case of gastric bypass.
On the other hand, as long as the doctor’s instructions are followed and a healthy life is maintained, this procedure is quite effective. Contrary to what is sometimes thought, the gastric sleeve does not shorten your life, on the contrary, it’s a procedure that helps to increase life expectancy in obese patients.
This is because it helps to reduce life-threatening diseases that commonly come along with obesity. So it’s an excellent alternative for those people who suffer from obesity and are looking for extra help to improve their quality of life.
At Baja Plastic Surgery & MedSpa Center our mission is to provide the best medical and aesthetic care. In addition to helping our patients improve their physical appearance, through the services we offer at Baja Plastic Surgery & MedSpa Center they can improve their emotional health.
Through the years we have been able to stand out for the quality of our work, improving the quality of life of hundreds of people. In fact, at Baja Plastic Surgery & MedSpa Center our staff have adequate academic training, certificates, licenses and experience to guarantee we will provide you with good service.
Therefore, if you are looking for health professionals who can help you with the gastric sleeve surgery, you can contact us.