Gastric sleeve is a popular choice for obese and morbidly obese individuals who want to lose weight through surgery. Today, it is the most commonly performed bariatric surgery in the United States.

Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery is a state-of-the-art facility located about an hour and a half away from Montgomery, Alabama. We offer gastric sleeve surgery performed by our board-certified and award-winning bariatric surgeon, Dr. Jay C. Long.

Contact us by phone at (205) 833-6907 or make an appointment online to find out if gastric sleeve surgery is an option for you.

Gastric Sleeve Surgery

Gastric sleeve is a restrictive procedure, meaning it limits the amount of food a patient can eat. To achieve this, a bariatric surgeon will reduce the size of the patient’s stomach during surgery.

Gastric sleeve surgery is a minimally invasive procedure performed through small incisions in the abdomen. Your surgeon will utilize a laparoscope, a small tube fitted with a camera, to see into the abdomen. Your surgeon will then permanently remove about 80% of the stomach, leaving behind a stomach that is now narrow and sleeve-like.

At Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, our surgeon can perform gastric sleeve surgery in under an hour. Once he has completed your surgery, we will give you medication to alleviate pain or discomfort. However, due to the minimally invasive surgical techniques, you can expect less pain and faster recovery. We will require you to follow a liquid diet in the days following the procedure. Our team will also provide you with a specialized diet plan to prevent the stomach from stretching.

What are the benefits?

The reason gastric sleeve is the most popular type of bariatric surgery is that there are many benefits:

  • Surgeons can perform gastric sleeve surgery laparoscopically, which allows patients to avoid large incisions, experience less pain, and have an accelerated recovery.
  • There is no cutting or removing of the intestines or sphincter muscles.
  • The procedure may cause a decrease in ghrelin, more commonly known as the “hunger hormone.” Decreases in this hormone level cause decrease in appetite.
  • Gastric sleeve is safer than some other types of bariatric surgery, like LAP-BAND, which requires the insertion of foreign materials into the body.
  • Many patients have obesity-related conditions such as high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure. These conditions may improve or disappear entirely post-procedure.

What are the disadvantages?

There are some disadvantages to gastric sleeve surgery that you should consider. These include:

  • Gastric sleeve is a non-reversible procedure.
  • Gastric sleeve is not a malabsorptive procedure.
  • The stomach can stretch over time, resulting in weight gain.
  • This surgery is not an option for individuals with severe reflux disease.
  • A second surgery, known as a duodenal switch, may be needed to correct future weight gain.

Bariatric Surgeon in Montgomery, AL

If you’re looking for a bariatric surgeon near Montgomery, Alabama, there is no better option than Dr. Jay C. Long at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery. Dr. Long has been performing bariatric surgery since 2002 and has helped hundreds of individuals to lose excess weight.

Dr. Long, along with our team at Birmingham Minimally Invasive Surgery, wants to help you make the most informed decision when choosing a type of weight loss surgery. We offer one-on-one consultations to determine which procedure is best for you!

Give us a call at (205) 833-6907 or contact us by using our online form to schedule a consultation and to start your weight loss journey.

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