One of the best ways to learn about gastric sleeve surgery is to use the experiences of those who’ve had it already. Reading their stories and comparing before and after pictures can be very inspiring. However, it’s also important to get expert advice on what happens to ensure your expectations are realistic.
Gastric sleeve surgery is intended for people with a significant amount of weight to lose. If you’re considering it then you are carrying lots of excess fat that you haven’t been able to shift with diet alone. You are at higher risk of health problems like cardiovascular disease and you may already be suffering from conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes due to your weight. Your weight could also be affecting your mood and confidence or causing problems in your everyday life, for example by limiting your mobility.
You may be a good candidate for gastric sleeve surgery if you meet these eligibility criteria:
If you and your doctor agree that gastric sleeve surgery is right for you, there are some important things you’ll need to do to prepare for the procedure.
You will need to stop eating the day before your operation. The doctor will tell you when you should stop, depending on the timing of the procedure. You won’t be able to eat or drink at all as it could cause serious complications during the operation.
The surgery is performed under a general anaesthetic, so you won’t be aware of anything that’s going on. You will wake up feeling a bit sore and drowsy. You’ll be in a comfortable bed at the hospital, with nurses nearby if you have any questions or concerns.
You will spend the first couple of days recovering in the hospital. You should expect to feel tired and sore. The surgical incisions on your abdomen will be covered by dressings as they need to stay clean and dry while they heal. You won’t be able to eat for about a day, but you can then start on your liquid diet. The nurses will encourage you to get up and walk around a bit as soon as you are able.
When you go home, you should continue to rest as much as possible for the next couple of weeks. The dressings should come off in about a week, but you’ll still be able to see the scars clearly. You’ll probably still feel more tired than usual because you’re on a restricted diet. However, you can start introducing soft food after a couple of weeks. You should be able to start eating solids in about 4-6 weeks.
About 5% of patients will experience some sort of complications after gastric sleeve surgery. Your doctor will tell you what to watch out for so that you can get help right away if there are any problems. For example, you might notice some inflammation around the surgical wounds, which could be a sign of an infection that can be treated with antibiotics.
You can start to feel the effects of gastric sleeve surgery right after the operation. The strict liquid diet that you’ll be on during the first week means that you’ll start to lose weight right away. If you follow the doctor’s advice, your weight loss should continue until you reach your target. You’ll probably also notice some other changes after your gastric sleeve surgery.
