Diet Tips to Help Keep Your Blood Glucose Stable
Eating a healthy diet can make it easier to control Type 2 diabetes and even reduce your reliance on medications. Learn some quick diet tips you can follow to prevent sudden blood sugar spikes.
All About the Gastric Sleeve
Gastric sleeve is a type of weight loss surgery that effectively helps you lose weight. While this type of bariatric surgery isn’t right for everyone, those who qualify for a gastric sleeve can achieve significant weight loss in a relatively short period of time.
At OakBend Medical Group, skilled bariatric surgeons Christopher Reilly, MD, FACS, Steven Thomas, MD, FACS, and Genna Lubrano, MD, specialize in gastric sleeve surgery.
Our team can determine if this type of bariatric surgery is an option for you and continue to monitor your progress with surgery in the months after your treatment.
What to know about gastric sleeve surgery
Gastric sleeve surgery involves the removal of about 80% of your stomach. The remaining part of your stomach forms a long narrow tube.
The goal of gastric sleeve surgery is to restrict how much food you can eat to promote healthy and fast weight loss. This surgery also has an impact on your hormones, triggering changes that support weight loss and reduce your risk for obesity-related conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure.
Our bariatric surgeons perform gastric sleeve surgery using laparoscopic techniques that require only small incisions. We can insert specialized surgical instruments in through your abdomen to access your stomach.
Smaller incisions mean you’ll experience less pain and bleeding during surgery and will heal faster than you might with larger incisions.
Candidates for gastric sleeve surgery
There are several factors that influence your candidacy for gastric sleeve surgery. Our bariatric surgeons will review your medical history and your current health to determine if this type of weight loss surgery is an option for you.
Typically, candidates have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher and can’t lose weight successfully through diet and lifestyle changes. If you have a BMI of 35 or more and a serious underlying health condition, you may also benefit from gastric sleeve surgery. Examples of obesity-related conditions include:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Obstructive sleep apnea
Our surgeons will ensure you’re healthy enough for surgery and can discuss your expectations for your results during your initial consultation. If gastric sleeve surgery isn’t an option, they may recommend other types of weight loss surgery, including gastric bypass surgery or an adjustable gastric Lap-Band®.
Recovering from gastric sleeve surgery
While everyone heals from bariatric surgery at their own pace, you can expect to need several months of healing time before you can resume all of your usual activities.
Immediately, you will start following a sugar-free, liquid diet for the first seven days. You gradually progress to eating pureed foods for several weeks before you can start eating solid foods. You also need to take a multivitamin, calcium, and other supplements daily.
Rapid weight loss usually occurs for the first several months after your surgery. We will continue to monitor your overall health and weight loss progress through routine checkups and lab testing. Our team can also address any issues you have, such as fatigue and mood changes, that are common after bariatric surgery.
To find out if you’re a candidate for gastric sleeve surgery, call OakBend Medical Group to schedule an appointment or book a weight loss consultation online today.
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