GASTRIC SLEEVE SURGERY:
IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
Dr Jacobus Jordaan, General Surgeon
WHAT IS IT?
Also known as a sleeve gastrectomy, gastric
sleeve surgery is one of the most effective weight
loss procedures available.
It is a weight loss operation in which a thin
vertical sleeve of stomach is created using a
stapling device via keyhole surgery. The rest of
the stomach is removed, leaving a sleeve-like
stomach about the size and shape of a banana.
WHY HAVE IT?
Sleeve gastrectomy can effectively resolve
weight-related health problems, including the
rapid resolution of Type-2 Diabetes in some
patients. It requires fewer follow-up appointments
than a gastric band, and has fewer potential postoperative
problems than a gastric bypass.
Patients typically lose more weight after a
sleeve gastrectomy than after a gastric band, with
excellent eating quality of life and very low risk
of complications.
18 Pindara Magazine 2017
