During a sleeve gastrectomy in Israel, the stomach is reshaped into a narrow tube-like structure, which holds only about 25% of the stomach’s original volume. The remaining portion of the stomach is surgically removed. This method transforms the stomach into a “sleeve” shape—hence the name—without altering the rest of the digestive tract.
Advantages:
- Research shows that post-surgery, hunger is significantly reduced due to a substantial drop in ghrelin, the hunger hormone produced in the stomach.
- Patients can enjoy a wide variety of foods after surgery since the stomach sphincter is preserved and digestion continues normally.
Disadvantages:
There is a potential risk of sleeve narrowing over time, as the procedure is relatively new.