Sleeve Gastrectomy

Also known as the gastric sleeve, sleeve gastrectomy involves reducing the size of your stomach so you can eat less food in one sitting.

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At Lompoc Valley Medical Center, we offer Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy. These two surgery types make up almost 80 percent of all bariatric surgeries performed in the US.

What is Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Also known as the gastric sleeve, sleeve gastrectomy involves reducing the size of your stomach so you can eat less food in one sitting. This is a restrictive surgery, as it allows you to eat smaller food portions and feel full sooner.

Gastric sleeve surgery is also known as sleeve gastrectomy. This weight-loss surgery is a restrictive surgery because it reduces the amount of food you can eat during a meal. This helps you feel full sooner so you can lose extra weight.

About 80% of your stomach is cut away in gastric sleeve surgery. The remaining 20% of your stomach will be a vertical, banana-shaped pouch. Gastric sleeve surgery is permanent and non-reversible. This is because it involves the surgical removal of a portion of your stomach.

This surgery may also affect your body’s levels of leptin and ghrelin. Leptin and ghrelin are “hunger hormones” that regulate your appetite. Lower levels of these hormones may reduce your appetite and prevent you from overeating.

Gastric sleeve surgery is a life-long commitment. When you commit to this surgery, you also commit to eating less food and making healthier choices. You will also be expected to exercise regularly. All these behaviors can help you maintain a healthy weight.

In a 2017 study published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, researchers looked at the effects of gastric sleeve surgery in 140 patients. All patients had a BMI between 34.2 and 76. By the end of the first year after surgery, the average BMI among these patients was 26.4.

Minimally invasive surgery is a technique your doctor will use to perform your weight loss surgery. Your surgeon will make small cuts and use a long, thin camera (called a scope) to make your stomach smaller. More than 95 percent of surgeries are minimally invasive. Having minimally invasive surgery has many benefits that make your surgery and recovery easier. Benefits include the following:

• Less trauma to your skin and soft tissue
• Shorter, less painful recovery
• Less scarring
• Fewer infections and hernias

If you have problems with your incisions (where your surgeon cut into your skin during your surgery), these problems are usually minor.

Common Sleeve Gastrectomy Questions

• How many follow-up visits will I need?
  You will need five visits with your surgeon or physician assistant during the first year after your surgery; after that, you will need to make an appointment with your bariatric surgery provider once each year.
• Is the procedure reversible?
  No, sleeve gastrectomy is not reversible.
• How quickly will I lose weight?
  After having a sleeve gastrectomy, most patients lose weight faster than with adjustable gastric banding; they generally fall between gastric bypass and gastric banding.
• What are the side effects?
  Sleeve gastrectomy may cause heartburn. But there's no dumping syndrome after the procedure, and you also have a lower chance of having malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies.

Gastric Sleeve vs Gastric Bypass: What’s the Difference?

Advanced Da Vinci Robotic System

If you are a candidate for bariatric or weight loss surgery, you may be eligible for surgery performed using the da Vinci XI Single Console Robotic System. The da Vinci enables our surgeons to use computer-guided, enhanced 3D visuals to perform many standard procedures.

This advancement in surgical systems typically results in shorter stays, reduced pain, faster recovery time, smaller incisions, and minimal scarring.

LVMC is currently the only hospital in Santa Barbara County performing bariatric surgeries with the da Vinci robotic system made by Intuitive Surgical.

Our Bariatric Surgery Program Is Accredited as a Comprehensive Center

The Lompoc Valley Medical Center, bariatric surgery program, has been accredited as a Comprehensive Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, a joint Quality Program of the American College of Surgeons and American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Patients seeking surgical treatment for obesity and related conditions have a high-quality choice for receiving care from our nationally accredited program, which meets the highest standards for patient safety and quality.

Take the Next Step

Your weight loss journey is personal—and it's an important decision. That's why our expert team will work with you to navigate the process from beginning to end and choose the surgical option that fits your needs. We offer a full range of procedures, conveniently in town. We've helped lots of people achieve their goals! Let us help you too.