When you are struggling to get to a healthy weight, it can feel as if your well-being is slipping through your fingers. Bariatric treatments such as gastric sleeve surgery can help you regain control of your health.

This procedure changes the size and shape of your stomach so you feel full after eating small meals. At Baptist Health, we can help you get on track toward a healthier, happier you.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery at Baptist Health

Gastric sleeve is the most common bariatric procedure in the U.S., but the care you receive at Baptist Health is anything but common. Our surgeons’ skills, safety records and outcomes are among the best in each of the communities we serve. 

Highlights of our program include: 

• Comprehensive care: Our care doesn’t begin or end with surgery. We spend time with you before and after your procedure, teaching you healthy habits so you can get the most out of surgery. 
• Minimally invasive techniques: Instead of making large incisions, our surgeons make several small incisions. We perform your procedure with the help of tiny cameras and sophisticated surgical tools. Minimally invasive techniques help you recover faster so you can return to your normal activities in just a few days.  
• Expertise that helps our patients achieve good outcomes: We have performed thousands of gastric sleeve procedures, translating to a superior level of care. In addition to avoiding complications during and after surgery, our expertise helps you achieve exceptional results.
• Personalized approach: Our team takes time to get to know you so we can help you make the best decisions for your health. We provide personalized healthy living recommendations and support before and after surgery.

What Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

During gastric sleeve surgery, we remove the rounded upper part of the stomach (fundus) and shape the remaining portion into a narrow tube or “sleeve.” The sleeve is a fraction the size of a normal stomach. 

Gastric sleeve helps you lose weight by: 

• Limiting how much food you can eat: A normal stomach holds approximately 33 ounces of food. After gastric sleeve surgery, your stomach holds only 2 to 5 ounces. You can expect to feel full after eating a small meal and continue feeling full for several hours. 
• Decreasing your appetite: By removing the fundus, we are also getting rid of the part of the stomach that makes you feel hungry. The fundus produces a special hormone (ghrelin) that triggers hunger pangs. Without it, you are less likely to overeat.

Is Gastric Sleeve Right for Me?

Having gastric sleeve surgery is a big step toward improving your overall health. Our goal is to help you be as successful as possible. We consider your overall health and commitment to healthy living to determine whether gastric sleeve is right for you.

You may also want to consider the risks and benefits of gastric sleeve surgery. Understanding how gastric sleeve is different from other weight loss surgeries can help you make good decisions about your care. We discuss these risks and benefits with you in detail before surgery. 

Advantages of gastric sleeve 

The benefits of gastric sleeve surgery, include: 

• Preserving the natural digestion process: Gastric sleeve does not require a medical device and does not alter the flow of food through the digestion process. These differences help you avoid complications like severe diarrhea so you can focus on getting healthy.    
• Controlling sensations of hunger: By removing the part of the stomach responsible for producing ghrelin, gastric sleeve shrinks your appetite. In fact, many of our patients have to set timers reminding them to eat because they do not get hungry on their own. 
• Providing a safe option to patients with other medical conditions: Gastric sleeve is a safe option for patients who cannot have other surgical procedures, such as gastric bypass, due to existing medical conditions. 

Risks and disadvantages of gastric sleeve

As with any medical procedure, gastric sleeve carries some risks, including: 

• Permanence: Once we remove the top portion of your stomach, there is no way to reverse the procedure. 
• A risk of gaining weight over time: Your stomach pouch may naturally stretch out over time, causing you to gain weight. However, if this happens you are not out of options. We offer special treatments (weight loss revision surgery) to repair the stomach pouch, including Apollo OverStitch™ weight loss revision surgery.

Gastric Sleeve: What to Expect

At Baptist Health, the same small team of bariatric experts delivers all of your care. After surgery, we offer personalized care and support to help you achieve healthy living and weight loss goals. 

If gastric sleeve surgery is right for you, here’s what to expect: 

• We give you medicine to help you fall asleep and not feel any sensation during the procedure (general anesthesia). 
• Our surgeon makes up to 5 small incisions in your abdomen. Through these incisions, we place a special camera and special instruments to carry out the surgery.
• The camera sends real-time video to a monitor in the operating room. We use this video to see inside your stomach during surgery.
• We fill your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas to create more space between the organs so the surgeon can safely carry out the procedure. 
• The surgeon removes most of your stomach while also sealing nearby blood vessels and tissue to control bleeding.
• We join the remaining portions of your stomach together using surgical staples. This creates a long sleeve-shaped stomach pouch.  
• We complete the surgery by removing the camera and instruments and closing the incisions with stitches. 
• Your care does not end with surgery. We help you adopt eating and exercise habits so you can achieve the results you’ve always wanted.