Vertical
Sleeve
Gastrectomy
Benefits
Although
the
vertical
gastrectomy,
also
referred
to as
the
vertical
sleeve
gastrectomy
or
simply
sleeve
gastrectomy,
is less
commonly
performed
than
many
other
types of
weight
loss
surgery,
there
are
nonetheless
circumstances
in which
it is
the
preferred
option
for a
patient.
Despite
the fact
that
there
have
been
many
advances
in
weight
loss
surgery
in
recent
years,
particularly
with the
introduction
of
laparoscopic
techniques
and such
operations
as
adjustable
gastric
banding,
for many
patients
these
are
simply
not an
option.
For
example,
although
the
traditional
Roux-En-Y
operation,
which
combines
both
restriction
of the
stomach
and
bypass
of the
intestine,
is still
considered
by many
people
to be
the
ideal
form of
gastric
bypass
surgery,
giving
good
weight
loss,
reasonably
low
weight
regain
and
relatively
few
complications,
it is
not
always
considered
suitable
for
people
who are
excessively
obese.
In
addition,
it is
very
difficult
to carry
out the
bypass
in this
type of
surgery
laparoscopically
in
excessively
obese
patients
and many
doctors
consider
that
this
carries
too high
a risk.
One
alternative
for
patients
with a
very
high BMI
(typically
in
excess
of 60)
is the
vertical
sleeve
gastrectomy
with
duodenal
switch.
Here
however
the
operation
is often
performed
as two
separate
procedures.
In the
first
instant
a
vertical
gastrectomy
is
performed
and this
can
normally
be
carried
out
laparoscopically
even in
very
high BMI
patients.
This
will
often
result
in a
weight
loss of
as much
as 100
to 200
pounds
(bear in
mind
that a
very
high BMI
patient
typically
start
with a
weight
in
excess
of 500
pounds)
and,
while
this
will
still
leave
patients
classed
as being
morbidly
obese,
this
initial
weight
loss
then
makes it
possible
to carry
out
further
surgery.
Thus,
the
second
stage of
the
operation
is the
addition
of the
duodenal
switch
bypass
which,
at the
patient's
reduced
weight,
can
often
once
more be
performed
laparoscopically.
Although
there
are
differences
between
the
vertical
sleeve
gastrectomy
with
duodenal
switch
and the
Roux-En-Y
gastric
bypass
operation
there
are also
considerable
similarities.
The fact
that the
sleeve
gastrectomy
can be
performed
as a
two-stage
operation
effectively
means
that
excessively
obese
patients
can now
have the
benefits
of the
traditional
Roux-En-Y
but can
also
enjoy
the
added
benefits
of
modern
laparoscopic
operating
techniques. |
