Health Tourism News

Weight loss surgery is the last hope for those obese people who have tried to lose weight through other means such as diet or exercise.  However, for obese people with high body mass index of 50 and above, many forms of weight loss surgery are either difficult to perform or present increased risk.  For such people, Vertical sleeve Gastrectomy is best suited.  This surgical procedure is alternatively known as greater curvature Gastrectomy, parietal Gastrectomy, gastric reduction or vertical gastroplasty.

The vertical sleeve gastroplasty is a restrictive form of weight loss surgery in which 85% of the stomach is removed leaving a sleeve-shaped stomach with a capacity of about 60 to 150cc.  Unlike other forms of bariatric surgery, the outlet valve and the nerves to the stomach remain intact.  The stomach continues to function normally and so there are fewer restrictions on the foods which the patients consume after surgery.  However, it is the responsibility of the patient to watch his eating habits and reduce the quantity of food to be eaten.  The surgery itself eliminates most Gherlin hormone production and this helps to reduce the sensation of hunger that people have.

There are several advantages with this procedure.  The surgery is a laparoscopic procedure and the fact that any bypass of the intestinal tract is probably the greatest advantage since the patients need not suffer complications of intestinal bypass such as osteoporosis, intestinal obstruction, vitamin and protein deficiency, etc.   The normal flow of food is preserved and hence, metabolic complications are rare.

For patients with high BMI, sleeve gastrectomy is sometimes performed as the first of a two-part weight loss solution to provide an initial drop in weight after which it is followed up by other bariatric procedure at a reduced level of risk.  Vertical sleeve Gastrectomy is suitable even for obese patients with relatively low body mass index; especially existing conditions such as anemia prevent them from having other forms of bariatric surgery.   Many patients who are concerned about the long term effects of bypass surgery also choose vertical sleeve gastroplasty.

The main disadvantage with this surgery is that it is not reversible like other bariatric procedures.  As a general rule, sleeve gastrectomy is a great option for extremely obese patients with a body mass index over 40, where the risk of performing gastric bypass or duodenal switch is large