Gastric sleeve surgery offers a surgical option for weight loss that requires less maintenance than a LAP-BAND® procedure. Bariatric surgeon, Dr. Jorge Rincon, offers this newer procedure to obese adults who live in the area of San Antonio. To learn whether you’re a candidate for this invasive, but effective weight-loss solution, call Rincon Surgery or use the online booking agent to make an appointment.
During gastric sleeve surgery, Dr. Rincon removes about 85% of your stomach to create a shape like a sleeve or a tube. Because the stomach is much smaller, the amount of food you can eat is restricted, so you take in fewer calories and lose weight. It also promotes weight loss by changing the hormonal signals between your stomach, liver, and brain.
Most people lose 70-80% of their excess body weight in the first 6-12 months following surgery. Within a few days or weeks, people also see other health benefits, including improvements in diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol.
Dr. Rincon performs gastric sleeve surgery laparoscopically, meaning he makes small incisions through which he inserts a viewing tube equipped with a small camera as well as other tiny surgical instruments. He performs your stomach surgery through these tiny incisions, rather than through one large incision. He uses staples to close the tube-shaped stomach that remains. The procedure is irreversible.
Indications for gastric sleeve surgery are the same as other weight-loss surgeries and are based on your BMI and other health conditions. BMI is a calculation of your height to weight ratio and roughly evaluates your level of body fat.
To have gastric sleeve surgery, you must have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or greater. For men, this is equivalent to being about 80 pounds overweight, or about 60 pounds of excess weight for women.
If you have a BMI greater than 30 accompanied by obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes or hypertension, you may qualify for the surgery.
You may also be a candidate for gastric sleeve surgery if you can’t participate in the regular follow-ups required after LAP-BAND surgeries. People who’ve had previous LAP-BAND surgery, but regained weight or had complications, may also benefit from gastric sleeve surgery.
In addition to facilitating weight loss, gastric sleeve surgery may be preferable to other forms of bariatric surgery because:
If you’ve tried other weight-loss strategies to no avail, call Rincon Surgery or book online to find out if you’re a candidate for gastric sleeve surgery.
