Patients who decide to undergo weight-loss surgery are now faced with many choices when it comes to selecting a specific bariatric procedure.
Considering a number of studies have praised the effects of sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, and gastric banding, it can sometimes be difficult to narrow your options down to just one surgery that’s right for you.
However, according to a new study published in Annals of Surgery, the gastric sleeve has been deemed one of the more favorable bariatric procedures for patients considered morbidly obese. For the study, researchers compared the weight-loss and health outcomes of morbidly obese patients who underwent gastric sleeve surgery to those who had gastric banding. In comparison to gastric banding, the gastric sleeve exhibited better long-term weight-loss results, meaning patients were more successful at keeping weight off in the years following bariatric surgery.
The Annals of Surgery study involved approximately 3,000 patients who were morbidly obese, and had decided to undergo gastric sleeve in an effort to lose weight and reverse serious comorbidities. Researchers then examined the post-surgery results of all gastric sleeve patients and compared them to 3,000 gastric banding patients and 3,000 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients. It was found that gastric sleeve patients were able to lose up to 60 percent of their excess weight in the years following surgery, whereas other weight-loss surgery patients involved in the study only lost up to 34 percent of their extra weight in the years after surgery.
Gastric sleeve surgery was also more successful at reversing comorbidities in its morbidly obese patients; such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea. According to the World Health Organization, individuals that fall under the morbidly obese range have body mass indexes (BMIs) of at least 40, or BMIs of 35 and higher with obesity-related health conditions.
If you are interested in weight loss surgery, check out MBL’s Ultimate Guide To Weight Loss surgery.
