What is laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy?

Your doctor may recommend bariatric surgery if you are severely overweight. One of these bariatric surgery procedures is known as sleeve gastrectomy.  The sleeve gastrectomy is performed using minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. This involves making five small incisions (less than an inch long) in the abdomen and performing the procedure using a video camera and long instruments that are placed through these small incisions. The surgery takes out the part of your stomach that curves outward, known as the fundus. After the fundus is removed, the surgeon will close up the rest of your stomach into a shape that looks like a small banana or the sleeve of your shirt. This is where the name sleeve gastrectomy comes from.

The sleeve works in two ways. The first thing it does is restrict how much you can eat because the stomach is now much smaller. It does not cause decreased absorption of nutrients or bypass your intestines. After eating a small amount of food, you will feel full very quickly and continue to feel full for several hours. The other way it works is by affecting your gastrointestinal hormones. The sleeve gastrectomy reduces the amount of “hunger hormone” that is produced. This contributes to weight loss because of a decrease in appetite.

Patients undergoing this procedure can expect to lose between 40-70% of their excess body weight in the first year after surgery. Many obesity-related comorbidities improve or resolve after bariatric surgery. These comorbidities include things such as diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Weight loss after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy slows down after a few years. Your stomach may stretch and grow. For any bariatric surgery to succeed, you must make important lifestyle changes that include both better nutrition and regular exercise.

Click here to listen to Dr. Lee explain

laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

---

Banana Protein Shake
Ingredients:
1 c. plain unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. plain full fat Greek yogurt
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 frozen banana
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
ice as needed
Instructions:
Add the unsweetened almond milk, full fat plain Greek yogurt, vanilla protein powder, frozen banana, and ground cinnamon into a blender.
Blend until smooth.

---

5 Minute Standing Flat-Belly Workout

The actual workout you do is not as critical as doing a workout – period. It’s far more important that you get moving more often, for longer periods of time. Try this 5-minute standing flat-belly workout!