Democracy, stem cell research & ethnic equality.

What do these 3 things have in common? They present the ongoing progress of man as a species.

But what do these advances have to do with a gastric sleeve? NOTHING! (just kidding it really does). Since they represent such progress one cannot help but stand in awe of the astounding progress that this surgical technique represents. It sounds rudimentary and/or archaic at first, some people even jokingly have oversimplified the concept by saying “you just cut out a piece of the stomach”.

If only things were this simple, things get a bit complex from the get-go. Firstly you have the laparoscopic approach which in and of itself is a difficult technique to grasp (get it?). Secondly we have the constant stream of data that has continued research and advance our understanding of appetite regulation via a plethora of hormones. Enough data exists to whet the appetite of any skeptic, but researchers continue to examine just how profound an effect this surgery has on human physiology.

Making physiology work for YOU.

A few key points that have already been discussed but need to be fresh in your memory for this particular blog are these: click here, here and here.

 So what can you expect after a gastric sleeve procedure?

• You have a smaller stomach, less food will initiate the complex cascade of mechanisms that tells your brain when you’ve had enough food.
• You don’t have the majority of your stomach fundus: out went the cells that were in charge of producing the most amount of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger. Less ghrelin = less cravings!

These are the direct and most immediate noticeable effects after having a gastric sleeve procedure. But what of late effects?

A beautifully executed study done by Peterli, et al. (1) in May 2012 has demonstrated that Ghrelin concentrations are effectively reduced even after 1 year in patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy, furthermore they provided a comparison showing that it significantly reduces Ghrelin concentration when compared to gastric bypass.

The aforementioned reduction in Ghrelin even years after the surgery provides a sense of relief that a reduction in huger is induced in a long-term setting, assuring continuous weight loss and management of healthy weight.

 Cutting is such sweet sorrow.

By cutting we mean surgical incisions just to clarify. The saying that “less is more” really abounds within the laparoscopic surgery community. Indeed smaller abdominal wounds logically decrease postop recovery times and pain (among other things). Yet another main purpose that led to the pursuit of these micro-incisions are their cosmetic characteristics.

Smaller incisions yield almost invisible scars (this varies greatly by surgeon and materials used), less probability of wound dehiscence (a fancy way of saying the suture “popped open”).

The disappearance of these small incisions also varies greatly from one person to the next but by observing the comparison images below one can obviously deduce that the body will do a better job at repairing the smaller incisions done by the scalpel.

After the surgery it is very important to follow the postop wound care regimen established by your surgeon. Failure to comply with this regimen may lead to wound infection, which is a surefire way of getting the body to repair the wound with a huge and noticeable scar.

Luckily most of these postop orders are fairly easy to follow and if you have any questions be sure to direct them to your surgeon who I’m sure would be more than happy to help you with. :).

These are the changes that you can expect to happen to your life following a Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy. As always, look for good information whenever possible (preferably in peer-reviewed journals) and make an effort to establish a good rapport with your surgeon to solve any and all doubts regarding this and any other procedures!

Have a wonderful week!

-LIMARP Staff

1.Peterli R, Steinert RE, Woelnerhanssen B, Peters T, Christoffel-Courtin C, Gass M, et al. Metabolic and Hormonal Changes After Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Randomized, Prospective Trial. OBES SURG. 2012 May 1;22(5):740–8.