Sleeve Gastrectomy

A Sleeve Gastrectomy is much simpler than a Gastric Bypass but creates a similar effect, where about 80% of your stomach is removed, leaving a thin tube, or a ’sleeve’ which holds about 50-100ml of fluid.

The consequence of this procedure is the restriction of the volume of food that you can consume to reduce the amount you eat because you feel full quicker and very likely to eat less.

This also has a very positive effect on diabetes patients and often patients stop their medication after surgery (under guidance of their physician).

To prepare for your surgery, if you are a smoker, you will be asked to stop smoking due to the increased risk of developing an infection post surgery which can slow down your recovery and consequently may lead to complications.

Furthermore, you may also be asked to switch to a low-fat and low-carb diet a couple of weeks prior to your operation as this will help to reduce the size of your liver, making it easier and safer to perform the Sleeve Gastrectomy.

The surgery will be performed at the Spire Hospital by Mr Mehta, accompanied by his anaesthetist who will administer a general anaesthetic, which means you will be fast asleep when you are having the procedure and you won’t be able to feel anything.

The procedure normally takes about an hour and most patients are able to go home a couple of days later, with recovery taking between 6-8 weeks.

The Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure has become more popular in recent years and is now also performed as a keyhole procedure, allowing for a faster recovery period.