During a sleeve gastrectomy, about 85 percent of your stomach is removed so that your remaining stomach is a tube or “sleeve”-like structure. It’s important to realize that this is a permanent weight loss procedure and cannot be reversed like some types of weight loss surgery.

What to Expect

During surgery, your surgeon reduces the size of the stomach by creating a small, sleeve-shaped pouch the size of a banana. The pouch is larger than the one created during Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and there is no bypass or re-routing of food through the intestines.

Typically, hospital stays after surgery are between one and three days. After you leave the hospital, you should be able to take care of your personal needs but will require help with other tasks, such as driving or lifting.

Generally, you can expect to take two to four weeks off work or school after surgery. During that time, your focus will be on establishing healthy eating and drinking habits. You should be back to regular activities within three to five weeks.

Who is a Candidate?

To be eligible for sleeve gastrectomy, you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a history of trying other diet methods unsuccessfully, including medically supervised dieting
• Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more (100 pounds or more overweight), or have a BMI of 35 with two or more weight-related conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure

Why Choose UHealth?

Award-winning, experienced care. Our bariatric team is comprised of experienced professionals who are experts in the field of weight loss and weight loss surgery. In fact, we are the only facility in Miami-Dade County to have received the Healthgrades® Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award and the Excellence Award. We understand the unique challenges of people working hard to lose weight and get healthier. Therefore, we use a “whole person” approach to weight loss — working to address your emotional, behavioral, and psychological needs.