Weight management is more than just being conscious about one's appearance. For people who suffer from obesity, excessive fat accumulation could increase the risk of severe health conditions. There are several medications and devices which can help a person lose weight. For some individuals, however, the best option would be to undergo an operation such as gastric sleeve surgery.
What is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Gastric sleeve, also known as sleeve gastrectomy, refers to a bariatric surgery operation that aims to induce weight loss. It is the most commonly performed weight loss operation in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Sleeve gastrectomy is a laparoscopic surgery involving small incisions in the upper abdomen. About 80% of the left part of the stomach is removed, leaving behind a narrow tube called a sleeve, which resembles the size and shape of a banana. Since the small intestine is not operated on or changed, food empties out of the end of the stomach into the small intestine the same way it did before the gastric sleeve surgery. However, reducing the stomach size restricts the amount of food a person eats in one sitting, making them feel fuller and faster.
Gastric sleeve surgery is only offered to qualified people who suffer from severe medical conditions related to obesity or have tried other weight loss methods without long-term success. The doctor may also advise this procedure if a person is severely obese with a body mass index (BMI) over 40.
Aside from weight management, gastric sleeve also helps reduce the amount of hunger hormones the stomach produces. This helps decrease a person's appetite and cravings and may restrict the impulses that cause them to regain their lost weight.
What Happens to Gastric Sleeve 10 Years Later?
The 10-year outcome after gastric sleeve surgery usually comes out good, as the procedure offers many immediate and long-term benefits. Following a low-calorie diet and plenty of exercise, the surgery can lead to lower BMI, reduced risk of stroke and several types of cancer, and remission of weight-related diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
Regarding weight loss, the most significant and fastest result occurs during the first three months after the procedure. Most people can maintain an excess body mass loss of between 51% and 54% a decade after gastric sleeve surgery. This means they lost almost half of their extra body weight and can keep it off for years.
However, research conducted in 2014 revealed that weight loss results from the surgery can fluctuate years after the procedure. Another study found that about 13-30% of patients can regain their weight and sometimes even exceed their starting weight.
Weight regain after gastric sleeve surgery can happen for various reasons. It may have something to do with the sleeve size or other factors like the increase of hormones that signal the brain that the stomach is empty. Another reason could be failing to adhere to the doctor's recommended diet and exercise plan.
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