Sunday, July 31, 2016

Basics Related To Gastric Sleeve Surgery Houston Clients Should Know

By Jessica Wood


Losing excess weight is by no means an easy undertaking. Bariatric surgeries have now been adopted widely as an option for weight loss. There are several types of these operations that exist. They include gastric banding, bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. Each of them is associated with a number of advantages and disadvantages. If they have intentions of undergoing gastric sleeve surgery Houston residents need to be aware of a number of things in mind.

Sleeve gastrectomy may be used on its own or as part of the bypass procedure. The procedure itself involves the removal of a significant part of the stomach. The organ is first split along its length, the unwanted part removed and the remainder repaired using stitches or staples. Generally, the part that is removed is between 75% and 80% leaving behind a small tubular structure that can hold a limited amount of food.

The objective of performing this operation is to reduce the amount of food that an individual can consume in one sitting. With the small stomach size, there is faster filling and hence early satiety. The removal of a large section also means that the amount of gastric hormones that are released from the stomach lining will be markedly reduced. Appetite is thus reduced and the levels of glucose in the blood maintained within fairly normal ranges.

Most of the people who undergo the operation have impressive outcomes. The proportion of excessive weight lost within 6 months to one year approaches 50% if it is done successfully. This effect is similar to what would be achieved with gastric bypass but the advantage is that the unpleasant side effects of bypass are avoided. Another major advantage of gastrectomy is that the stomach innervation is spared and so are the valve mechanisms.

The two techniques that can be used when performing sleeve gastrectomy are the open surgical technique and laparoscopy. Laparoscopy has turned out to be the more popular option. Most of its advantages are due to the use of smaller surgical incisions as compared to those that are made when an open surgical operation is done. The benefits include less pain, a lower risk of infections and faster recovery among others.

There is a criteria that is used in selecting candidates to undergo the operation. One of them is the fact that they should have tried out lifestyle changes first. This is not a must but more of a general recommendation. The body mass index should ideally be 40 or more except in cases where the individual already suffers from weight related complications such as hypertension and sleep apnea.

Some potential complications to this operation exist. Some are complications that may be seen with any surgical operation while others are specific of this operation. The general complications include injury to other organs, excessive blood loss and infections. More specific complications include leakage of digested food, gradual stomach dilatation and esophageal spasms. The procedure cannot be reversed even when complications set in.

Surgery is emerging as a popular option of weight loss. The options that may be used when this option is chosen include sleeve gastrectomy, banding and bypass. Apart from your own preference, the skill and preference of your surgeon and the degree of your problem determine the type of operation to be used. Gastrectomy usually achieves desired results but has a downside in that it cannot be reversed.




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