Why do we need gastric sleeve surgery?

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Introduction

Gastric sleeve surgery, also known as the sleeve gastrectomy, has become a popular choice for patients seeking excellent weight loss in a straightforward procedure that doesn’t require the maintenance and long-term complication rates of a Lap Band

Why do we need surgery? 

It's very difficult to get insurance companies to approve new procedures. So why would they approve gastric sleeve surgery?

1. The evidence showed significant weight loss with low complication rates.
2. Surgeons were already performing the procedure and insurance was paying!

Number 2 deserves some explanation.

Super Obese individuals (people with a Body Mass Index over 45) have an increased risk during any surgery. And the longer the time under anesthesia, the greater the risk. Gastric bypass surgery can last over 2 hours. Duodenal switch surgery often takes over 4 hours. That’s a long time to be under anesthesia.

So surgeons started breaking the procedure up into two stages. The first stage was to reduce the size of the stomach. The second stage would be done a year later after the patient lost some weight. The second stage of the procedure would include bypassing some of the intestines to reduce calorie absorption.

So surgeons started coding the first part of the procedure as the first half of a duodenal switch. Insurance was paying.

Why Your Surgeon Prefers Sleeve Gastrectomy Over Lap Bands

Guess what? Your surgeon may prefer gastric sleeve or bypass over Lap Bands. Surgeons want you to be successful. Most surgeons care about getting you healthy. But, they also know that you’re a future referral source. You are a future success story.

If your surgeon has been performing bariatric surgery for long enough he or she has seen patients that lose little or no weight with a Lap Band.

This doesn’t mean the band isn’t working. It just means that certain patients cannot implement the lifestyle changes (3 small meals a day, high protein, exercise, low carbs, etc.) that are needed to be a success with the Lap Band.

The failure to lose weight is significantly less with gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery. Granted, after the weight comes off, it’s up to the patient to keep it off.

For a surgeon that is trying to help, it’s difficult to identify patients that are truly dedicated to implementing exercise and healthy, nutrient dense foods into their diet.