One of the most common questions that patients ask is: What are the differences between the two surgical procedures? How does each one work? In this article we tell you! We know in advance that both surgeries are excellent alternatives, not only to reduce weight in an effective and controlled manner, but also to significantly improve comorbidities, so before learning about the differences between a gastric sleeve and a gastric bypass, it is important to highlight that both contribute significantly to improving people's quality of life. Differences between a gastric sleeve and a gastric bypass The main characteristics of the gastric sleeve are the following: The surgeon removes 80% of the stomach and constructs a grape and sutures a narrow tube (sleeve). It is a restrictive procedure When the size of the stomach is reduced, its capacity to contain food from 1 liter of volume to 100-150 ml decreases. The amount of hormones responsible for regulating appetite is reduced, as a result the person is satisfied faster and therefore will eat less. It is important to mention that it is a permanent procedure, that is, irreversible. This surgery requires general anesthesia, it takes 90 min. (on average) and the time that the person must stay in the hospital is 1 night. The main characteristics of the gastric bypass can be summarized as follows: It is done when you have already tried to lose weight by implementing better eating habits and exercise. The surgeon cuts the upper part of the stomach away from the rest, thus creating a smaller reservoir than in the sleeve. That is, the food will not pass through most of the stomach, but will go directly to the small intestine. Malabsorptive procedure. With this, the amount of food that the person eats is reduced and the absorption of nutrients is reduced. Once gastric bypass surgery is performed, the permanent change that must be made is a healthier lifestyle and nutrition control. Gastric bypass surgery requires general anesthesia and the average time for its execution is 2 to 3 hours. It is suggested to patients with conditions at the metabolic level, such as those who suffer from type II diabetes mellitus. In conclusion… In gastric sleeve surgery, the stomach is reduced and in gastric bypass surgery, in addition to leaving a smaller gastric reservoir than in the sleeve, the digestive cycle is modified by leaving a portion of the intestine without absorption, this significantly impacts assimilation of nutrients. Another characteristic of the gastric sleeve is that it is a less complex intervention compared to gastric bypass. It is important to mention that in both procedures supplementation is necessary, the patient will have to perform periodic laboratory tests to monitor adequate levels of micronutrients, based on these, some modification in the scheme or the cessation of any supplement will be considered.
