Gastric sleeve surgery is a safe and effective procedure for long-term weight loss. This procedure is part of our comprehensive program for permanent weight management, along with nutrition counseling, physical activity training and other services to promote your lifelong wellness.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery for Weight Loss: How It Works
Gastric sleeve is a surgery that permanently removes about 85 percent to 90 percent of your stomach. The remaining section is about the size of a banana and looks like a sleeve. The procedure helps limit the amount of food you can eat but does not bypass any of the small intestine, keeping the normal digestive path.
Our expert bariatric surgeon performs gastric sleeve using laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure. Using just a few small incisions rather than a large one, the procedure enables you to heal faster with a lower risk of complications than open surgery.
During the procedure, the surgeon:
- Uses staples to divide the stomach and create a long, slender, vertical pouch, or sleeve.
- Removes the rest of the stomach but does not change the connection to the small intestine.
Gastric Sleeve Surgery: Advantages
Compared with other types of bariatric surgery, gastric sleeve offers several advantages:
- 50 percent to 80 percent weight loss: On average, patients who have a gastric sleeve procedure lose 50 percent to 80 percent of their excess body weight.
- More than 50 percent weight-loss maintenance: After 10 years, patients have maintained weight loss of more than 50 percent of excess body weight.
- Less risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies: Since the food you eat follows the normal digestive path, your body can still absorb nutrients from food. That means you will not need to rely on nutritional supplements as much as with other surgery types.
- Improvement of other conditions: Many patients see improvement in some obesity-related health conditions, such as depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.
Watch this video to learn more about laparoscopic gastric sleeve surgery.
Our Options for Weight Loss Treatment
Gastric sleeve surgery is just one component of our comprehensive weight-loss program. Find out more about our bariatric surgery program and services, including nutrition support for weight loss, health checks and physical therapy through our on-site Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation Center (STAR).
We offer a full range of nonsurgical and surgical weight-loss treatments. Our options include:
Nonsurgical Weight Loss Treatment Options: If you are interested in any of the nonsurgical treatment options for weight loss, you must first determine if you are a candidate and set up a personal consultation. A member of the Washington University gastroenterology team will explain the endoscopic procedures and answer your questions.
CONTACT US FOR WEIGHT LOSS TREATMENT
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a bariatric endoscopy physician, please call toll-free at 844-542-9378.
Referring physicians can call the BJC Transfer Center at 800.252.DOCS (3627) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also visit our referring physicians page.
OFFICE LOCATIONS AT BARNES-JEWISH WEST COUNTY HOSPITAL
Washington University Bariatric Surgery
Medical Office Building 4
1044 N. Mason Road, Suite 320
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
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OFFICE LOCATION AT BARNES-JEWISH HOSPITAL
Washington University Bariatric Surgery
Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place, Suite 8C
St. Louis, MO 63110
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