When considering options for weight loss, many individuals who have been unsuccessful in reducing their BMI through diet and exercise consider undergoing gastric sleeve surgery. They search to find the answers to questions like, “Is gastric sleeve outpatient surgery?” “How long does gastric sleeve surgery take?” and “Does gastric sleeve surgery require a long recovery?”
Today, we are going to look at this very popular form of bariatric surgery, answer all these questions, and provide you with detailed information about what the surgery involves, whether it can be reversed, and a non-surgical procedure that is like an outpatient gastric sleeve surgery.
What Does Gastric Sleeve Surgery Involve?
A gastric sleeve is also called VSG or LSG and is a surgical weight loss option where a large portion of the stomach is removed and a new, smaller, sleeve-like stomach is created. This limits the amount of food you can eat at one time and helps you feel full faster, which can help promote weight loss. During the surgery, about 75% of the stomach tissue is cut off and eliminated, and the remaining edges are stapled together to heal.
Gastric sleeve surgery is the most commonly performed bariatric surgery in the United States today and usually takes between 90 minutes and two hours to perform.
Do You Need To Stay In The Hospital, Or Is Gastric Sleeve Outpatient Surgery?
Gastric sleeve is considered a minimally invasive surgery because it is performed laparoscopically, but it is not routinely done as an outpatient procedure. Most patients need to stay in the hospital for one to two nights to monitor their recovery and make sure there are no complications.
The risk profile associated with gastric sleeve surgery is about 12%, with leakage from the staple line occurring in about 1% to 3% of patients. This complication usually develops shortly after surgery and can be life-threatening, so it is important that patients are closely monitored in the hospital for a day or two to ensure the staple line is secure.
Is There An Alternative To Gastric Sleeve That Is Outpatient Surgery?
Yes! Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is the perfect alternative for those looking for a less invasive alternative to surgery. It is like a non-surgical, outpatient gastric sleeve that offers similar weight loss potential but without the risks or recovery of surgery.
ESG is a procedure that involves stitching the walls of the stomach together from the inside to significantly reduce the capacity of food it can hold. The doctor does not make any abdominal incisions and gains access to the stomach by using an endoscope that is placed down the patient’s throat and lowered down into their stomach. This medical device resembles a thin, hollow hose that is outfitted with a camera and a light and is carefully lowered down through the patient’s throat and esophagus. The stomach is manipulated into a smaller tube-like shape, and a miniature suturing device is lowered down the center of the endoscope to administer strategically placed sutures.
ESG Does Not Involve Removing Any Part Of Your Stomach
These sutures are strong enough to hold the stomach in this new shape indefinitely, but they can be removed to reverse the procedure if necessary. Gastric sleeve surgery cannot be reversed because once the stomach tissue is cut away and removed, there is no way to replace this lost tissue.
ESG is normally completed in about an hour and is done on an outpatient basis, which allows patients to return home the same day to recover in the comfort of their own home. Most individuals enjoy a quick recovery, and they are back to their regular activities in just a few days. Unlike gastric sleeve surgery, ESG involves minimal discomfort, and patients are not given any limitations on physical activities.
Both ESG And Gastric Sleeve Work The Same Way
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty helps individuals to lose weight by making their stomachs smaller and restricting their intake of food, just like gastric sleeve. Also, their smaller stomach size slows down the digestion process, so they stay feeling full longer, and it reduces their calorie intake. The ESG procedure is outpatient; gastric sleeve is not, and the recovery time after surgery is anywhere from four to six weeks compared to just a few days with ESG.
Choose ESG: The Outpatient Procedure Unlike Gastric Sleeve Surgery
If you are seeking medical intervention to help you lose weight and you would like a minimally invasive outpatient procedure, gastric sleeve surgery is not going to be your best option. Reveal Weight Loss in New Jersey specializes in performing the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty procedure, and their team offers this cutting-edge, incision-free option for patients like you who are seeking significant weight loss without the risks and downtime associated with traditional surgery.
Contact Reveal Weight Loss Today About ESG
Set up a consultation with the experts at Reveal Weight Loss today and learn more about how non-surgical ESG can provide significant weight loss potential as an outpatient vs. gastric sleeve surgery. We are here to help you achieve sustainable weight loss and improve your health!
