There are several weight loss surgeries developed including gastric sleeves, gastric banding, and Roux-en-Y. Gastric sleeve surgery began in the 1960s. The surgery splits the stomach into two. The first stomach is linked to the small intestine’s lower part and it collects food. The second stomach makes digestive fluids which pass in the small intestine and helps to digest food. Creating a small stomach helps a person to get satisfied faster and absorb small calories. Here are the pros and cons of gastric sleeve.
Pros
1. Rapid results: This surgery has dramatic and fastest results. 50% weight loss will take place in 2 months and even continue for two years. Rapid loss of weight helps to recover several weight-related conditions such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
2. No foreign objects: Gastric sleeve has no foreign objects in the body like gastric banding.
3. Few diet complications: Gastric sleeve has fewer dietary complications compared to gastric bypass. Other surgeries make patients ill when consuming refined carbs or sugars.
4. Anesthesia: People go through anesthesia to be fully asleep during the procedure. Gastric sleeve is a minor surgery, unlike gastric bypass. It involves minimal procedure when done laparoscopically. In addition to that, the surgery uses small equipment that makes tiny incisions hence patients recover fast.
5. Improve conditions: After the surgery, comorbidities conditions including cholesterol, diabetes, sleep apnea, and cholesterol improved. Most of the conditions are caused by overweight.
6. No vitamin deficiencies: Some surgeries are accompanied by a deficiency of vitamins. This is because the procedure limits your body to absorb enough nutrients. However, the sleeve has a low risk of getting vitamin deficiencies after the procedure.
Cons
1. Incomplete nutrients: Patients may not absorb enough nutrients because food moves to the digestive tract faster than before. Regardless of fewer calories, the body absorbs less iron, calcium, and vitamins. Henceforth, patients are recommended to consume supplements daily to cover up for the missed nutrients. Also, they should take enough calories to exercise safely.
2. Risks: Gastric sleeve is a major surgery that has significant risks like infections, blood clots, and gallstones. Other cases involve the removal of more small intestines as well as the large intestine.
3. Limit food: Patients always feel thirsty after waking up from the surgery but they are not allowed to drink or take anything through the mouth. Moreover, soft drinks and liquids are only allowed to be consumed during the first weeks of surgery.
4.
No carbonated drinks” Carbonated drinks are not allowed for patients who have gone through the gastric sleeve. This is because enzymes in the stomach react with carbonation to form a gas. For this reason, it leads to a stretch in the stomach pouch.
5. Permanent: The procedure cannot be irreversible, it will stay permanent. It could be better if the surgery could be turned back after successful weight loss.
6. No exercises: Patients are not allowed to take part in physical activities or exercises until the procedure was OK.
7. Sore throat: Patients start to experience sore throat because of the breathing tube that is used during surgery.
8. Pain: The patient’s abdominal area becomes sore thus needs the use of pain relief medications.
