What Is Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Sleeve gastrectomy — also called a gastric sleeve — is a bariatric surgery that helps patients with morbid obesity lose weight by removing approximately 70–80% of the stomach. This creates a smaller, tube‑shaped stomach (or “sleeve”), which limits the amount of food you can eat and reduces hunger hormones, helping you feel full sooner and lose weight.

Why Surgery Is Performed

Sleeve gastrectomy is recommended when:

  • Body mass index (BMI) is 40 or higher
  • BMI is 35–39.9 with obesity‑related conditions (e.g., type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea)
  • Conservative measures (diet, exercise, medication) have not led to long‑term weight loss

This surgery not only promotes significant weight loss but also often leads to improvement or resolution of associated health conditions.

How Sleeve Gastrectomy Works

During the procedure, the surgeon creates a narrow sleeve from the stomach using surgical staples. The remaining portion of the stomach is removed. The smaller stomach can hold less food, and changes in gut hormones help reduce hunger and improve metabolic health. Because the digestive tract remains continuous (no rerouting of intestines), nutrient absorption is largely preserved.

What to Expect During Surgery

Sleeve gastrectomy is typically done using laparoscopic (minimally invasive) techniques, which involve several small incisions and a camera to guide the instruments. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia in a hospital surgical suite. Most operations take 1–2 hours, depending on the individual patient’s anatomy and surgical plan.

Recovery and Aftercare

After surgery, patients usually stay in the hospital for 1–2 nights for monitoring and pain control. Recovery includes:

  • Pain management and incision care
  • A staged diet that progresses from clear liquids to soft foods and finally to regular texture meals over several weeks
  • Activity guidance, including gradually increasing daily walking and avoiding heavy lifting at first
  • Long‑term support from dietitians and bariatric specialists

Success depends on lifelong lifestyle changes, including diet, physical activity, and regular medical follow‑up.

Benefits of Sleeve Gastrectomy

  • Significant and sustained weight loss
  • Improvement or remission of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic conditions
  • No intestinal rerouting or malabsorption (simpler than gastric bypass)
  • Smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery than open surgery

Risks and Considerations

As with all surgeries, sleeve gastrectomy carries risks. These can include bleeding, infection, leak from the stapled stomach, anesthesia complications, and long‑term nutritional deficiencies if postoperative guidelines are not followed. Your surgeon will review your individual risk profile and explain how these risks are minimized with careful planning and postoperative support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric procedure that removes a large portion of the stomach to create a smaller “sleeve,” limiting food intake and reducing hunger hormones to support weight loss.

Candidates typically have a BMI ≥ 40, or ≥ 35 with obesity‑related conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, and have not achieved lasting weight loss with lifestyle changes.

Most patients stay in the hospital 1–2 nights and return to light daily activities within a few days. Full recovery and diet progression occur over several weeks.

Many patients take daily vitamin supplements after bariatric surgery to prevent deficiencies, though absorption is less affected than with procedures like gastric bypass.

Weight loss varies, but many patients lose a significant portion of excess body weight within the first 12–18 months when combined with lifestyle changes.

Yes. Many patients experience significant improvement or remission of type 2 diabetes due to hormonal changes and weight loss.