Disadvantages of the Gastric Sleeve
So what is the sleeve gastrectomy? The gastric sleeve is a form of bariatric surgery whereby the surgeon removes the left side of the stomach, leaving a tube or sleeve in its place, which is roughly shaped like a banana. The surgery is considered to be minimally invasive due to the fact that the surgery is performed laparoscopically. However, there are many disadvantages to this, which shall be discussed further.
One of the first things that patients should be aware of when researching bariatric surgical options is that the gastric sleeve is irreversible. A large part of the stomach is permanently removed and this can never be undone. Due to this, it is “more sensitive to poorly chewed and quickly eaten food”, which can also result in vomiting and discomfort.
Another issue that can result in the surgery is that patients tend to eat the same amount of food that they are used to and due to the fact that there is no device to prevent overfilling, the new stomach ends up stretching. “Because of constant overfilling, it enlarges and even more food can be consumed”. Moreover, the surgery itself does not impede liquid food and drink consumption, meaning effectively that weight loss can be difficult and can even sometimes result in weight gain.
Some of the other listed complications are, but not limited to, “infection, pneumonia, blood clots, post-operative pain and leakage which potentially is very dangerous, because the gastric juices damage the surrounding internal organs and make it easy for an infection to occur”.
To be successful with any bariatric procedure patients need to change their eating behaviour which is why the gastric band can be more effective. They are more able to achieve this as it is a physical device which is there as a constant reminder to the patients to eat properly to control hunger and eating which ultimately leads to weight loss success.