Gastric Sleeve

Gastric sleeve surgery, which makes up over 60% of all weight-loss surgery procedures performed in the U.S. It is relatively new but is quickly becoming popular because it requires the procedure does not require any implantable devices or re-routing of the intestines.More than half of the stomach (50%-80%) is removed, leaving a thin vertical sleeve about the size of a banana.

The procedures makes your stomach smaller so you require less food to feel full faster. Patients are left with a small capacity for food storage, thus limiting their intake. Recent research has found that the hunger-producing hormone ghrelin was significantly lowered in gastric sleeve patients. This hormone signals your brain when you are full. With a smaller stomach, the signal is sent more quickly. Most often, this procedure is performed laparscopically.

Following surgery, patients can slowly add all foods types back into their diet, but in much smaller amounts Another benefit of the sleeve is that, unlike the Lap-Band, no adjustments are necessary.