Center for Bariatric Surgery
Surgical Options
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
The Center for Bariatric Surgery features
several surgical weight loss options.
The surgical procedure that each patient will undergo
is carefully determined through a one-on-one consultation
with the surgeon. This determination is based on specific
health and safety criteria, including body mass index
(BMI), associated medical conditions, prior history
of abdominal surgery and other variables that determine
the best outcome for each individual patient.
The laparoscopic - or minimally invasive - surgical
technique of the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure
is performed with a small video camera that is inserted
inside the abdomen through five, ½-inch incisions.
Long surgical instruments are used to perform the surgery,
while the surgeon views the procedure, under magnification,
onscreen via the video camera.
The laparoscopic method features:
- Procedure performed by a
fellowship-trained laparoscopic bariatric surgeon
assisted by a team of anesthesiologists and nurses
dedicated to laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Together,
this team has successfully performed hundreds of
laparoscopic procedures.
- Average hospital stay of two
days.
- Average recovery time of 10
days to six weeks, depending on the physical
requirements of the patient's job.
- Low risk for wound-related
problems, such as hernias and wound infections.
- Minimal scar tissue formation, which can decrease
safety risk associated with future surgeries.
At the time of the patient's consultation, the
appropriate surgical weight loss procedure will be chosen
based upon established program criteria.
Overview of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Procedure
The laparoscopic--or minimally invasive--surgical technique of the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy is performed through 5 to 6 incisions no more than a half-inch in length. Long surgical instruments are used to perform the surgery while Dr. Ben-Meir views the procedure under magnification on video screens.
Dr. Ben-Meir creates a thin vertical sleeve, about the size of a banana, from the stomach. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, there is no rerouting of the intestine. And unlike adjustable gastric banding, there is no implementation of a device. Like both gastric bypass and adjustable lap band, vertical sleeve gastrectomy helps patients feel full with a small amount of food. The sleeve has been performed as a stand-alone weight loss operation and as a first stage operation since 2005 and was approved as an ASMBS weight loss operation in 2009. Long-term data are not yet available for the sleeve gastrectomy.
The gastric sleeve method features:
- Surgery always performed by an experienced bariatric surgeon.
- Average hospital stay of three days.
- Average recovery time between three and six weeks, depending on the physical requirements of the pateint's job.
- Operating time of 75 to 90 minutes
