sleeve gastrectomy bariatric surgery

Last edited 01/2019 and last reviewed 10/2021

Description:

• procedure involves the removal of up to 75% of the stomach
  • as there is no bypass, the effect on absorption of nutrients and drugs is far less than it is with gastric bypass surgery
  • operation involves removing approximately 80% of the stomach, leaving a thin tube or sleeve (about the width of your thumb) which holds about 50-100mL of fluid (about half cup of tea)
    • mechanism is via restricting the volume of food
    • also removal of part of the stomach leads to hormonal changes due to reduction in capacity to produce ghrelin (hormone that controls hunger) so patients often achieve satiety more easily following the operation
    • this has positive effects on diabetes and often patients can stop their medication after surgery (1)

Impact on nutrition:

• may be some impact on absorption including iron and vitamin B12

Reference:

• North Bristol NHS Trust. Bariatric Surgery (Accessed January 8th 2019).
• Chelsea and Westminister NHS Hospitals Trust. Weight Loss - Surgical Options (Accessed January 8th 2019)
• BOMSS Guidelines on perioperative and postoperative biochemical monitoring and micronutrient replacement for patients undergoing bariatric surgery September 2014.