Take Full Advantage Of Effective Weight Loss Through Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery is one of the most effective bariatric procedures available in Australia that is designed to help people lose weight.
During gastric sleeve surgery, a significant portion of the stomach is removed from the body which helps patients reduce their caloric intake and lose weight.
Studies have indicated that gastric sleeves can help people struggling with overweight or obesity to lose between 60-80% of their excess body weight over the first 12-24 months. While gastric sleeve recovery time varies for people, and the gastric sleeve procedure is just one piece of the weight loss picture, eventually most patients will get to the point they settle at a healthy weight that suits them.
Newcastle Obesity Surgery Centre is one of the leading bariatric clinics in Newcastle and the Hunter region that offers gastric sleeve surgery. Our team of dedicated surgeons and weight loss experts can help you improve your health and quality of life through a gastric sleeve or a number of other weight loss interventions.
What Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
The Sleeve Gastrectomy, more commonly known as the gastric sleeve surgery, is a bariatric surgical procedure which is performed laparoscopically (keyhole surgery) under a general anaesthetic. During the gastric sleeve surgery 80-90% of your stomach is cut and permanently removed from your body. This leaves a ‘tube’ or ‘banana’ shaped stomach behind which is your new, smaller ‘sleeve’ stomach’.
How Does The Sleeve Work?
Weight loss after a gastric sleeve is still not completely understood. While the procedure does reduce the capacity of your stomach from ~1L to ~150mls initially after surgery, it also reduces hunger promoting hormones. Often patients can report taste changes that decrease the appeal of fatty and sugary foods. Obviously, a combination of all these factors would facilitate weight loss.
Pros & Cons Of Gastric Sleeve Surgery
While gastric sleeve surgery is highly effective in helping people lose weight, it must be noted that this surgery, along with any other bariatric procedure, is only ever a ‘tool’ to help you control your weight. Ultimately, weight loss success relies upon you optimising the use of your ‘tool’ and results can vary due to a number of factors such as age, starting weight, concurrent medical or psychiatric illnesses, ability to exercise, meal planning/routine as well as perseverance. Read more about some of the pros and cons of gastric sleeve surgery below.
Reasons to get Gastric Sleeve - Benefits
- Easier surgical procedure compared to the gastric bypass.
- The pyloric sphincter of the stomach is unaffected by the surgery reducing the risk of dumping syndrome.
- Less multivitamin supplements are needed to be taken for life as compared to the gastric bypass.
- No foreign body (like the lap band) is used which decreases the chance of complications such as infection, migration or erosion.
- Follow up is not as intensive as those with a lap band therefore the sleeve is considered more suitable for people living distances away.
- The sleeve can be converted to a gastric bypass in the case of any complications (eg uncontrolled reflux).
- The sleeve has been shown to reduce the incidence of diabetes, high cholesterol, joint pain and hypertension and also lowers the dosage, or negates the use altogether, of medications used to treat lifestyle diseases.
Considerations to understand before getting a Gastric Sleeve
- The sleeve may cause reflux or make existing reflux worse. This is not always the case. Some people will have reflux for a short amount of time post surgery only while others may not suffer from it at all.
- It is possible to stretch the sleeve by overeating repetitively. This will not be a comfortable process. If your sleeve becomes stretched to allow for the consumption of more food it will result in weight gain. Keep in mind that most weight gain years after surgery is likely to be due to poor food and lifestyle choices rather than increased sleeve volume.
- Multivitamins are required to be taken daily for life. Due to the reduced volume of food eaten, especially if poor food choices are being made, there is a risk of nutritional deficiencies if supplements are not being taken as directed. Some of these deficiencies can have irreversible and severe complications such as neurological injury and permanent dementia.
- Being a newer surgery, performed in Australia only since 2004, all longer term weight loss results are not yet fully known.
Gastric Sleeve side effects/complications
As with any other medical intervention or surgical procedure, sometimes gastric sleeve complications do occur. At Newcastle Obesity Surgery Centre, our treating team will take the time to discuss your risks, possible complications and encourage you to please discuss any specific concerns when they arise. Below we have outlined some (not all) of the common gastric sleeve complications that you should be aware of:
- During surgery the stomach is cut and stapled. It is possible that during this process a leak along the staple line will form which then allows stomach contents to leak out into the abdomen. There is generally a 1% risk of this occurring and if detected early it can resolve quickly with minimal intervention. At worst sleeve leaks can require intensive hospital based treatment lasting approximately 6-12 weeks or longer.
- As with many weight loss operations, rapid weight loss can lead to gallstone formation in 20-30% of patients.
- Other complications include staple line bleeding, narrowing of the new stomach, haemorrhage, bowel injury, wound infection, hernia, postoperative abscess, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, reactions to anaesthesia/medications.
Boost Your Weight Loss Efforts With A Gastric Sleeve & Start Improving Your Health & Wellbeing Today
If you’re thinking about gastric sleeve surgery, the dedicated specialists at Newcastle Obesity Surgery Centre are waiting to talk to you today. Get in touch via our contact form or call us on 02 4032 8777. Our team can discuss your eligibility for gastric sleeve surgery or any other questions you may have about weight loss or our other weight loss strategies. There is no better time than now to lose weight and improve your wellbeing.
FAQs
At Newcastle Obesity Surgery Centre, our bariatric surgery fee is $7,500* and includes: the cost of the surgeon, postoperative consultations and dietetics support. This fee does not include other related, or potential, costs associated with your procedure such as hospital fees, related radiology or pathology fees, or the anaesthetist or the surgical assistant fee. Find out more here. *Initial consults with one of our doctors are prepaid at $250. In this appointment, you will have the ability to book in your surgery or treatment. Subsequent related consultations are bulk billed. For the initial dietetic assessment appointments, the cost is $150. As part of our booking process, a non-refundable deposit of $500 is required when scheduling your surgery or balloon procedure; this deposit secures your appointment.
No patients are the same, so there is no exact way to predict recovery for anyone after any surgical procedure. With gastric sleeves, patients need to consider recovery from the surgery itself, i.e. incision wound healing (2-4 weeks) and stomach staples healing (6+ weeks); and transitioning their diets from pureed to soft then solid foods (1-8 weeks).
While gastric sleeve surgeries typically take 1-2hrs with 1 to a few days stay in hospital postoperatively, there is no exact way to predict how long any given procedure will take. Surgical technique, patient risk factors and possible complications all can affect surgery times.
Dumping syndrome is more common with other types of bariatric surgeries when compared with gastric sleeve surgery. It is a complication that occurs when the stomach pouch does not digest food adequately and ‘dumps’ food directly into your small bowel.
Solid food is slowly reintroduced into your diet following gastric sleeve surgery. Usually, reintroduction of small pieces of solid food begins 6-8 weeks following on from liquids and softer foods before that. If large solids are reintroduced too early then you can experience discomfort, pain, nausea, vomiting and obstructions.
There is no hard and fast rule to drinking after a gastric sleeve surgery. However you should always discuss consuming alcohol postoperatively with your treating team before you drink. Also consider alcohol’s effects on things like your healing; your metabolism of foods and liquids; the potential for nausea and vomiting; and the effects of carbonated beverages on your stomach.
The gastric sleeve procedure, also known as sleeve gastrectomy, provides long-term weight loss results for most patients. It is considered a permanent procedure because a portion of the stomach is permanently removed. The sleeve gastrectomy removes approximately 80-90% of the stomach, leaving behind a smaller, banana-shaped sleeve. This reduction in stomach size helps restrict food intake and promotes feelings of fullness.
The long-term success of a gastric sleeve depends on several factors, including the patient’s commitment to making lifestyle changes, such as adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise. The sleeve gastrectomy can lead to significant weight loss in the initial 18 to 24 months after surgery. Most patients can expect to lose a substantial amount of excess weight during this period. However, it’s important to note that individual weight loss and maintenance may vary.
To maintain the weight loss achieved after a gastric sleeve, it is crucial to establish and maintain healthy habits. This includes following a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, attending follow-up appointments with healthcare professionals, and seeking ongoing support from a healthcare team or support groups. By adhering to these lifestyle changes, individuals can optimise the long-term results of gastric sleeve surgery and enjoy improved health and quality of life.
The surgery fee is $5,500 and includes:
- The surgeon performing your procedure
- All postoperative consultations pertaining to your procedure
- All postoperative dietetic support for 6 months
#This fee does not include the hospital fees or related radiology and pathology fees, the anaesthetist or the surgical assistant fee.
If you do not have private health insurance, and if the surgeon deems you suitable, we can help you with an application to draw down on your super to pay for your procedure. The total cost for surgery will depend on which hospital you decide on, the anaesthetist on the day, and our cost above. This total ranges anywhere between approximately $18,000 and $23,000. Further details on this will be available during your consultation.
Following the surgery, you may experience a decrease in appetite due to the reduced stomach size and the removal of the part of the stomach responsible for producing hunger hormones. This can lead to an initial reduction in calorie intake and weight loss.
During the first month after surgery, you can expect noticeable weight loss. Most patients lose a significant amount of weight during this period, often ranging from 10% to 20% of their excess body weight.
By three to six months post-surgery, you will likely experience continued weight loss and noticeable improvements in your body shape. This is when many patients begin to see a more significant transformation in their appearance.
At six months to one year weight loss tends to stabilise, and the body adapts to the new eating patterns and reduced food intake. The pace of weight loss may slow down, but continued progress is expected.
Over the long term, with consistent adherence to a healthy diet and regular exercise, you can continue to see improvements in weight loss, body composition, and overall health. The timeline for optimal results varies among individuals, but most patients reach their maximum weight loss and see the full impact of the surgery within 12 to 18 months.
It’s important to note that individual results may vary. Regular follow-up appointments and ongoing support from healthcare professionals can help track your progress and ensure a successful and healthy weight loss journey.
The gastric sleeve surgery, also known as sleeve gastrectomy, is not reversible in the traditional sense. During the procedure, a large portion of the stomach is permanently removed, leaving behind a smaller, banana-shaped stomach pouch. Once this portion of the stomach is removed, it cannot be reattached or restored.
While the gastric sleeve surgery itself is not reversible, it’s important to note that the effects of the surgery can be managed or modified if necessary. For example, if a patient experiences complications or side effects related to the gastric sleeve, additional procedures or interventions may be required to address those issues.
It’s crucial to thoroughly discuss the potential risks, benefits, and long-term implications of gastric sleeve surgery with a qualified healthcare professional or bariatric surgeon. They can provide personalised guidance and help you make an informed decision about whether the procedure is suitable for you.
