Five-Year Results With Gastric SleeveThe safety and effectiveness of sleeve gastrectomy as a bariatric surgical procedure was demonstrated once again in a recently published five-year study. The results showed this new and upcoming type of weight loss surgery achieved good long-term weight loss and resolution of co-morbid medical conditions.

Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG), also known as the gastric sleeve, has been quickly gaining universal acceptance among bariatric surgeons, health insurance providers, and patients. Although the popularity of this newer bariatric surgical procedure continues to grow, long-term clinical data on outcomes is limited at this time.

The results of this five-year study provide additional evidence supporting sleeve gastrectomy as an alternative to gastric bypass and gastric banding.


About this Study

For this study, researchers examined five-year outcomes, including weight loss, complications, and resolution of co-morbid conditions, of patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy at their private practice in the United States. The first operation was performed in 2005 and they operated on 55 consecutive patients who are five years out from surgery.

Of these patients, 6 were excluded from the long-term results, 4 underwent conversion to a duodenal switch, and 2 died within the first year outside of the perioperative period (time spent in hospital before, during and after surgery). The average starting body mass index (BMI) was 65.

The study showed the following outcomes:

  • Five-year average Excess Weight Loss (EWL) of 86%, ranging from 50% to 103%
  • Hypertension resolved in 95%
  • Type 2 diabetes resolved in 100%
  • Hyperlipidemia resolved in 100%
  • Obstructive sleep apnea resolved in 100%
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) resolved in 53%, new symptoms developed in 11%
  • 1 staple line leak
  • No strictures
  • No gastrointestinal bleeding
  • No perioperative deaths

The researchers conclusion stated that “In this study, SG is a safe and effective bariatric surgical procedure with good long-term weight loss and resolution of co-morbid medical conditions.”

The study, “Sleeve Gastrectomy: 5 Year Outcomes Of A Single Institution”, was published online September 10, 2012 in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD). SOARD is the Official Journal of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

About Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve gastrectomy, also known as the gastric sleeve, is a procedure that reduces the size of the stomach to about the size of a banana. During the operation, a stapling device is used to divide the stomach into two sections. A thin vertical sleeve section remains, while the rest of the stomach is removed. The procedure is not reversible.

The gastric sleeve helps with weight loss by limiting the amount of food that the stomach can hold at any one time, helping a person eat less, feel full faster and stay full longer. With the reduction in calories, the body will then use it’s fat supply for energy and weight loss will occur.

Be Sociable, Share!