DR. ISKANDAR, DR. KELLY, AND DR. ROYE Could Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Be the Key to Your Weight-Loss Success?

Could Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Be the Key to Your Weight-Loss Success?

Here’s why millions of people are turning to this safe, effective surgical procedure

BY DR. MAZEN ISKANDAR, DR. TIMOTHY KELLY, AND DR. WATSON ROYE, WEIGHT-LOSS SURGEONS AT BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE TEXAS SURGICAL SPECIALISTS If you’re like a lot of people, excess body weight might be a problem you’ve struggled with for years. And it’s not just a lifestyle problem. While you might have trouble finding clothes that fit right or sitting in certain chairs, obesity is linked with a range of health problems.

“If you’re obese, you’re at higher risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, sleep apnea, some cancers, and other health conditions,” says weight-loss surgeon Watson Roye, MD.

If you’ve tried diet after diet and found they just don’t work, or you’ve lost weight and gained it back, you might want to consider a type of weight-loss surgery called sleeve gastrectomy.

“A lot of people are reluctant to try weight-loss surgery,” says weight-loss surgeon Mazen Iskandar, MD. “They feel like if they can’t lose weight with diet and exercise, they’ve failed. But losing weight is complicated, and surgery can help them get on the path to success and better health.”

Sleeve gastrectomy is simple, safe, and effective

Since 2013, sleeve gastrectomy has been the most common type of weight-loss surgery performed in the United States. In 2019, more than 152,000 people turned to the procedure to help them get their weight under control, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

The procedure gets impressive results. People typically lose 60 to 70 percent of their excess weight after a year. And their health improves, too. According to a study published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery: • Diabetes disappeared in 75 percent of people • High blood pressure improved in almost 72 percent of people • None of the people with sleep apnea needed CPAP machines anymore

Here’s how sleeve gastrectomy surgery can help you lose weight

With the sleeve gastrectomy or “sleeve” procedure, surgeons remove about 80 percent of your stomach.

“The new stomach holds less food, so you consume less,” explains weight-loss surgeon Timothy Kelly, MD. “Plus, we remove most of the part of your stomach that produces the hormone that makes you feel hungry, so you naturally want to eat less.”

Unlike some other types of weight-loss surgery, the sleeve procedure doesn’t remove any of your small intestine, so there are fewer potential complications from the surgery, and you’re less likely to be deficient in nutrients afterward. The procedure is typically covered by insurance.

Who qualifies for sleeve gastrectomy surgery?

According to the ASMBS, you may qualify for weight-loss surgery if: • Your body mass index (BMI) is 40 or higher. For most people, that means you’re more than 100 pounds overweight • Your BMI is 35 or higher and you have other health conditions linked to your weight such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, abnormal cholesterol levels, or gastrointestinal disorders • You haven’t been able to lose weight and keep it off with the methods you’ve tried