Is Sleeve Gastrectomy better than Lap Band Surgery?

Nowadays, every person wants to look good. Obesity not only hampers your wish to look good but also, acts as a magnet for a number of diseases. Many people opt for diet and exercise to remain fir. But what if these don’t work? Then comes the option of surgery. One of the surgery to lose weight is Gastric Banding surgery or lap band surgery. One more surgery which is effective in reducing obesity is Sleeve Gastrectomy.

What is Sleeve Gastrectomy?
Sleeve Gastrectomy is a weight loss procedure. It involves the removal of part of the stomach which helps in restricting the amount of food. It is also a metabolic surgery. It involves weight loss by changing the hormonal signals between stomach, liver, and brain to establish a lower set point.

How does Sleeve Gastrectomy work?
In this surgery, most of the part of the stomach is removed. It can hold only one and a half to five ounces of food at a time after the surgery. It becomes the size of a banana. Since patients are unable to eat more food, fewer calories are absorbed in the body. Due to this, the hormonal signals between the stomach and brain changes. Therefore, the patient will experience a weight loss and improvement in the metabolic syndrome and wellbeing of the body.

Preparation for surgery
Before the surgery, one has to go for pre-op diet for a week. If you are scheduled for the surgery in the morning, you will not be allowed to eat anything after the midnight. Many bariatric surgeons postpone the sut=rgery because patient eats or drink something before the surgery. Remember, if you vomit during the procedure, you might get pulmonary aspiration because the content of the stomach gets stuck in the airways.

Recovery
Sometimes, the recovery of the procedure is painful. Each person experiences the pain differently. So, the recovery procedure is different for different person. But, here are some guidelines for every patient for easy and speedy recovery-
• It is very important to keep yourself hydrated. Take in liquids at regular intervals.
• Take the pain medicine when you need them.
• Constipation is normal for a week post surgery. It is normal to call the surgeon if there is more pain during the bowel movements.
• Do not take a bath for 3 weeks post surgery.
• Try to walk as much as you can. Do not lift anything heavy.

Advantages of the surgery
Patients experience lot of health benefits after the surgery-
• Patients experience about 66% of weight loss.
• Around 70% of the people saw the remission of Type 2 Diabetes
• There is a significant improvement in other diseases as well as High blood pressure, Sleep Apnea and Joint Pain.
• The patient-reported increment in self-confidence, physical activities, productivity and wellness after the surgery.
• Since it is a minimally invasive procedure, it requires a short stay in the hospital. Recovery time is also less as compared to other surgeries.
• It doesn’t use the external instrument like a band (in case of gastric banding), thus reducing infections or relapse.
• It does not reroute the digestive tract.
• It is permanent and does not include more surgeries or adjustment.

Disadvantages of the surgery
There are few disadvantages of this procedure as well. Some of them are-
• It is permanent.
• It can make you vitamin deficient.
• It requires complete diet and exercise for a lifetime.

Success Rate
The surgery has a very low mortality rate of 0.13%. This means out of 10,000 people 9987 will survive the surgery and 13 will die. All the surgery involve some risks. The rate of surgery is dependent on the past medical history, weight, and age of the patient.

Therefore, Sleeve Gastrectomy is better than Lap-Band surgery. So, include this surgery as well when you are looking for surgery for giving up obesity.

To know more about your specific condition, please visit an Bariatric Surgeon in a a trusted hospital close to you.