Is Gastric Sleeve Suitable For You?

Another surgery that is performed to help a patient loss the unwanted pounds is the gastric sleeve, also called the gastric sleeve resection, vertical sleeve gastrectromy, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and tube gastrectomy. This is a fairly new procedure and can be used to start the weight loss process. This is often recommended for patients that are too obese to have invasive surgery done and need help getting started. This is also a good option for those that are not good candidates for the Lap-band or Realize band.

Many times, the gastric sleeve is used on patients that have to wait until a later time to have a more invasive surgery done. It can help high risk patients lose weight faster and safer than other methods.

During this procedure, the surgeon actually removes about sixty percent of the stomach and reshapes it to resemble a narrow tube. This is done using a laparoscope and very little scarring is left. When the stomach has been removed, it will be stapled closed.

Because this surgery is relatively new and long term results have not been determined, insurance companies may not cover this procedure. It is advisable to check with your insurance company if the gastric sleeve surgery is claimable. It can cost about $10,000 - $ 13,000.

The gastric sleeve surgery is non-reversible and requires a long-term commitment. Patients that have this surgery will need to be extremely careful to follow their diet plan. They are at risk of gaining the weight back after time because the stomach can stretch if over-eating occurs.