Sleeve gastrectomy is a safe, effective bariatric surgery that can help obese people lose weight. Patients may undergo sleeve gastrectomy as a single surgery or the first stage before a gastric bypass.
At the University of Maryland's Center for Weight Management and Wellness, our surgeons have more than 15 years of experience in performing bariatric surgeries including sleeve gastrectomy. And our weight loss team is here to support you both before and after weight loss surgery.
Sleeve gastrectomy, also called gastric sleeve surgery, involves removing about 80 percent of the stomach, which limits the amount of food you can eat. During the procedure, the surgeon divides the stomach along its vertical length to create a long, slender pouch (or sleeve).
Gastric sleeve surgery helps with weight loss because:
Sometimes this procedure alone enables patients to lose sufficient weight. However, it may come before a gastric bypass, which actually shortens the route that food passes through the system, keeping some calories from being absorbed.
Patients who have a complex surgical history or who have other conditions that make them at high risk for bypass surgery may opt for this surgery.
The advantages of sleeve gastrectomy include:
Our surgeons uses only the laparoscopic approach for sleeve gastrectomy surgery because of the many advantages of laparoscopic surgery, which include:
If you would like to make an appointment or talk to someone about our services, please call 1-800-492-5538, 410-328-8940 (patients) or 1-800-373-4111 (physicians).
