Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric Sleeve Surgery – 14 Ways It Will Affect You

If you are 80 or more pounds overweight, gastric sleeve surgery is one of the safest and most reliable options for significant, fast, and long-term weight loss.

During the procedure, your surgeon will drastically reduce the size of your stomach.

From Day 1, you won’t feel as hungry, and you won’t be able to eat nearly as much as you used to. As a result, you’ll lose most of your excess weight within one year.

For example, a patient who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds can expect to lose up to 55 pounds in the first year. Someone who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 300 pounds will lose up to 95 pounds that first year.

To see if you qualify for surgery and to learn about the risks, benefits, and what to expect, continue reading below.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Click on any of the topics below to jump directly to that section

  1. Qualification Requirements
  2. How the Gastric Sleeve Works
  3. Calculate Your Weight Loss
  4. Health Benefits to Expect
  5. Risks, Side Effects, & Challenges
  6. Cost of Gastric Sleeve: Insurance Coverage Vs. “Self Pay”
  7. Surgery Preparation & Recovery
  8. Your New Post-Op Diet & Lifestyle
  9. Compare Other Weight Loss Procedures
  10. Take the Gastric Sleeve Knowledge Quiz
  11. Questions & Answers from Other Patients
  12. Find a Surgeon
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Qualification Requirements

The gastric sleeve procedure is done for patients of all ages, although it is most commonly performed on adults between 18 and 65 years old.

In order to qualify for gastric sleeve surgery, your body mass index (BMI) needs to be at least 35.

If you do not suffer from ANY obesity-related health issues (hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes, joint problems, etc), then your BMI must be at least 40.

Click Here to See Your BMI

How the Gastric Sleeve Works

The gastric sleeve procedure, also called vertical sleeve gastrectomy, is done laparoscopically (using small incisions) and takes 1 to 2 hours.

During surgery, your surgeon will make between 1 and 5 small incisions in your abdomen (which minimizes scars), insert various laparoscopic instruments, and remove about 80% of your stomach. This leaves a banana-shaped “sleeve” that connects the esophagus to the small intestines.

Your much smaller stomach will cause you to feel full sooner while eating so you’ll eat less and, as a result, achieve long-term weight loss.

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE

Weight Loss After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you enjoyed Kimberly’s video, click here to visit her YouTube Channel.

Calculate Your Weight Loss

You can expect to lose a lot of weight very quickly after your procedure.

Most patients lose up to half of their excess weight in 6 months and almost three quarters of their excess weight within one year.

Click Here to See How Much Weight You Could Lose

Health Benefits to Expect

Any health problem you have that is related to being overweight will either go away completely or be greatly improved after gastric sleeve surgery (1, 2),including:

  • Sleep apnea
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • Asthma
  • Cholesterol problems
  • Joint problems

You’ll also reduce your risk of future disease.

For example, a prominent cancer study found that weight loss surgery patients have a 33% lower risk of developing ANY type of cancer than people with severe obesity who do not undergo bariatric surgery. Cancer risk that is specifically related to obesity goes down even further (3).

Click Here to See A Full List of Health Benefits

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE

Health Benefits of Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you enjoyed Kimberly’s video, click here to visit her YouTube Channel.

Risks, Side Effects, & Challenges

The risk of death from gastric sleeve surgery is close to zero (the survival rate is 99.7%), (4) and complications are relatively uncommon, occurring in less than 4% of patients (5).

However, there are several side effects and challenges to be aware of.

Digestive Issues

About 1 in every 5 patients experience Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the first 12 months. The good news is that this tends to be a shorter-term issue. After 3 years, the GERD rate drops to around 3% of patients (6).

Other potential digestive issues resulting from gastric sleeve surgery include (7, 8):

  • Indigestion (Dyspepsia)
  • Gallstones
  • Developing an intolerance to some food types
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Vitamin deficiency

These digestive issues can often be addressed and fixed with diet and behavior changes.

Sagging Skin

For most obese patients, the skin has been stretched out for so long to accommodate the extra weight that it has lost its elasticity. Gastric sleeve surgery causes most patients to lose a lot of weight very quickly, and your skin simply can’t keep up.

The extra skin may be embarrassing. It can also cause several issues ranging from minor to severe, including:

  • Hard time getting dressed
  • Uncomfortable to exercise
  • Skin problems, such as rashes and infections

In some cases, patients manage sagging skin with body-contouring undergarments. In more serious cases, patients have plastic surgery to remove the excess skin. Surgery to remove excess skin is often covered by insurance.

Weight Regain

After two years, about 1 out of every 20 gastric sleeve patients have gained back some weight from their low point.

At 5 years, the average gastric sleeve patient regains as much as 50% of the weight they lost (9). Just as bad, the more weight you gain back, the more likely your health problems are to return (10).

The reasons for weight regain?

  • Consuming calories in liquid form, such as protein shakes, pureed foods, smoothies, etc. Your new sleeve stomach works by making you feel full sooner when you eat. Since liquids don’t make you feel as full as solid foods, you’ll eat more and gain weight if you get your calories from liquids instead of solids.
  • Overeating or eating the wrong things. This can stretch out the smaller gastric sleeve stomachs over time which will allow you to eat more and gain unwanted weight.

Remember, gastric sleeve is one of the best tools for weight loss, but it is only a tool. To avoid weight regain, you’ll need to eat the right foods and make the right lifestyle choices.

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE

Risks & Downsides of Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you enjoyed Kimberly’s video, click here to visit her YouTube Channel.

Cost of Gastric Sleeve: Insurance Coverage Vs. “Self Pay”

If your health insurance includes coverage for bariatric surgery and you have a qualifying body mass index, then the gastric sleeve procedure will be covered after you complete a medically-supervised diet program.

Click Here to Check Your Insurance

If bariatric surgery is not included in your policy, then your only option is to pay for the procedure yourself, also called “self pay”.

According to our annual surgeon cost survey, the average self-pay cost is $19,000 in the United States. However, many practices charge much lower than this, with some practices getting as low as $10,000.

Click here for an interactive map of average gastric sleeve costs by country, region, and state.

If your credit score is over 650, you will probably qualify for financing. Click here for more about gastric sleeve costs and how to minimize them.

Surgery Preparation & Recovery

You will follow a detailed plan in the weeks leading up to surgery, including several tests, doctor visits, and a strict pre-surgery diet regimen.

Your goal will be to start practicing the right habits that you’ll need after surgery in order to be successful. The right pre-op habits will also cause you to lose weight before surgery which will help to minimize the risk of complications.

After surgery, you’ll be in the hospital for 2 or 3 days. Most patients can return to work in one to three weeks. Full recovery happens in 4 to 6 weeks.

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE

Preparing for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you enjoyed Kimberly’s video, click here to visit her YouTube Channel.

Recovery from Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you enjoyed Kimberly’s video, click here to visit her YouTube Channel.

Your New Post-Op Diet & Lifestyle

During the first couple of years after surgery, your new smaller gastric sleeve stomach does much of the work. Even patients who “cheat” on their prescribed diet and exercise regimen see amazing results.

But after 2 years, it becomes easy to see which patients have made the permanent diet and lifestyle adjustments and those patients that have not. Those who let themselves slip can expect their smaller stomachs to stretch back out which leads to significant weight regain and the return of health problems.

If you’re serious about keeping your weight off long-term, you’ll need to stick to your surgeon’s diet and exercise plan.

Also be mindful that big changes are likely to happen to many of your relationships as they are confronted with the new “skinny” you.

Your New Diet

At a high level, your new diet will look like this:

  • Healthy meals (mainly whole foods; limited processed foods)
  • 60+ grams of protein per day
  • No fibrous foods, starchy foods, greasy or spicy foods, whole milk products, or sugar
  • Lots of water or low-calorie fluids (2+ liters per day)
  • No sodas, alcohol, sugary drinks
  • Don’t drink anything around meal time (30 min before and after)
  • Small portion sizes cut into small pieces, chewed slowly and thoroughly
  • Stop eating when you feel “80% full”
  • No (or limited) snacking
  • Strict vitamin and supplement regimen

Click here for all of the details about your new short and long-term diet after gastric sleeve surgery.

Your New Exercise Regimen

Most surgeons recommend 2 and a half hours per week of moderate exercise.

In addition to improving your physical fitness which will improve your quality of life, patients who exercise 2.5 hours each week lose about 6% more body weight than patients who don’t. For every 17 pounds that you lose, that’s an additional pound that will come off (11, 12).

Support Groups

Patients who seek the help and support from other patients do much better than those who “go it alone.” In fact, patients who regularly attend weight loss surgery support group meetings experience about 12% more weight loss than those who don’t (13).

Talk with your surgeon about available support groups in your area.

Real Patient Experiences After Gastric Sleeve

The links below will take you to stories submitted by real patients about what life is like at various time frames after gastric sleeve surgery.

PATIENT PERSPECTIVE

Diet & Life After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

If you enjoyed Kimberly’s video, click here to visit her YouTube Channel.

Compare Other Weight Loss Procedures

Gastric sleeve is the most popular type of weight loss surgery, but there are other good options as well. Each carries its own set of Positives and Negatives.

If you’re unfamiliar with the other types of surgery, click the button below for an overview.

Summary of All Weight Loss Procedures

For a complete comparison of all procedures, click here.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Positives

Gastric sleeve has earned its place as the most popular procedure for several reasons:

  • Weight loss is as good or better than gastric bypass. It is much better than after Lap-Band surgery, gastric balloon, and vBloc Therapy.
  • Health Improvement is better than every procedure other than duodenal switch.
  • Reduced hunger – only gastric sleeve, duodenal switch, and vBloc Therapy make you feel less hungry.
  • Short-term risks associated with gastric sleeve surgery are similar to gastric bypass and lower than duodenal switch.
  • Long-term risks associated with gastric sleeve surgery are lower than gastric bypass, duodenal switch, and Lap-Band surgery.
  • No external device – There is no external device left inside the body after gastric sleeve surgery as there is with Lap-Band, gastric balloon, vBloc Therapy, and AspireAssist, so there is no risk of device-related complications. While the risk of device-related complications is relatively low for vBloc Therapy, gastric balloon, and AspireAssist, it is a concern and should be considered for Lap-Band.
  • Compared to gastric bypass and duodenal switch (DS):
    • Comparable improvement in obesity-related health problems
    • Quicker recovery than bypass or DS
    • Complication rates are lower than bypass or DS
    • Risk of vitamin deficiency is lower than bypass or DS
    • Little to no risk of dumping syndrome (unlike gastric bypass)
    • Side effects like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea should be less likely than bypass or DS. If present, they are usually less severe than after gastric bypass.
    • Less expensive overall than bypass or DS. Similar cost if you have insurance that covers weight loss surgery.
    • If you are on anticoagulation medication (blood thinners), gastric sleeve surgery is probably a better choice than gastric bypass to reduce the risk of marginal ulcers.
  • Compared to Lap-Band surgery:
    • Risk of long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is lower with gastric sleeve
    • Risk of esophageal dilation, pouch dilation, and food trapping is much lower with gastric sleeve
    • No risk of external-device-related issues like Lap-Band erosion, band slippage, or port problems with Lap-Band surgery
    • Much lower risk of long-term complications than Lap-Band surgery
    • Fewer follow up doctor visits required than after Lap-Band surgery
    • More expensive overall than Lap-Band surgery. Similar cost if you have insurance that covers weight loss surgery.
  • No dumping syndrome – Dumping syndrome (extremely uncomfortable digestive problems) is experienced by up to 7 out of 10 gastric bypass patients, although many patients report this being a “good thing” since it helps them keep their diet on track. Dumping syndrome is uncommon after gastric sleeve surgery.
  • Cost With Insurance – The cost of gastric sleeve for patients with insurance is ~ $3,500 (as a result of deductibles, copays, coinsurance, etc), which tied for the lowest with gastric bypass, duodenal switch, and Lap-Band surgery (gastric balloon and vBloc Therapy usually are not covered by insurance).

Gastric Sleeve Surgery Negatives

The gastric sleeve also has negatives compared to some of the other bariatric surgery types:

  1. Not reversible – Unlike Lap-Band, gastric balloon, vBloc Therapy, and AspireAssist, gastric sleeve surgery is irreversible. You cannot change back your smaller stomach. This is not necessarily a “negative”, but it is worth noting.
  2. Weight loss (on average) is usually less than after duodenal switch.
  3. Health Improvement is generally not as good as gastric bypass or duodenal switch.
  4. Short-term risk is higher than Lap-Band, gastric balloon, vBloc Therapy, and AspireAssist.

Take the Gastric Sleeve Knowledge Quiz

Gastric Sleeve: Test Your Knowledge

Gastric Sleeve

Well-educated patients are more likely to be successful over the long-term. Test your knowledge to ensure that you’re ready to take the next step!

Take the Gastric Sleeve Quiz

Questions & Answers from Other Patients

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Questions From Other Visitors*

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My Experience After Gastric Sleeve Surgery*

I am 3 years post gastric sleeve surgery. I lost 62 kilos (137 lbs) in the first 10 months (weighed 124 kilos - 273 lbs - prior to surgery). I…

6 Mo. After Gastric Sleeve: Warnings & Successes*

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Happy Life with Challenges 4 Years After Gastric Sleeve*

Having a VSG (gastric sleeve) is the best thing I could ever have done for myself. It has changed my life in so many ways. I was 28 years old…

Hunger Pains & Stomach Growling 5 Days After Gastric Sleeve Surgery*

I had the gastric sleeve done 9/8/15 and the second day post op I started getting hungry. The hunger pains I'm experiencing are some of the worst I've ever experienced.…

How Fast Will I Lose Weight After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?*

Hi! I have my gastric sleeve surgery coming up in a couple weeks and am trying to prepare for how fast I will be losing weight after my procedure. I…

Weight Regain After Gastric Sleeve Surgery. Help!*

Hi, I had the gastric sleeve surgery 2 years ago this March. First year, dropped weight like a rock. It was fantastic. I kept to the diet and exercise instructions…

Gastric Sleeve vs. Stomach Stapling*

Hi, 23 years ago I had my stomach stapling. In the beginning it was a great success. Unfortunately, in 2001 I had to have some of the staples removed as…

Weight Loss Surgery for Patient with Ulcerative Colitis*

Is it safe to have weight loss surgery (gastric sleeve in my case) if I have ulcerative colitis?I just had AAA repair surgery one month ago for colon ischemia.Is it…

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I'm 18 years old, weigh between 250-260 pounds, and am 5'4 1/2 (BMI of 44). I'm so scared the I will have severe excess skin and still feel ugly even…

Is Gastric Sleeve The Best Weight Loss Surgery For Pregnancy?*

I have been enjoying your site so far, thank you for all the info (it really helps!). But, I was hoping to find a little more information on how bariatric…

Can I Drink Alcohol After Gastric Sleeve Surgery?*

Dear Madam or Sir, I've been looking into weight loss surgery and was hoping you could provide me with some more details about it and alcohol restrictions. I have a…

Pre-Op Concerns for Gastric Sleeve Patient*

I am scheduled to have gastric sleeve surgery. I have great confidence in my surgeon and that he will make the procedure as safe as he can. However, I am…

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Gastric Sleeve Effect on Lazy Bowel Syndrome*

I have "lazy bowel" syndrome. How would the gastric sleeve procedure effect me?

Taking Appetite Suppressants Before Bariatric Surgery*

Can I take a prescription or over the counter appetite suppressant before bariatric surgery? I'm scheduled to have gastric sleeve surgery in 10 days and want to make sure that…

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