Usually done with a minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery, this procedure encourages weight loss by restricting the amount of food the body can take in. Moreover, the ghrelin hormone, which is produced by the part of the stomach that’s removed during a sleeve gastrectomy surgery, plays an important role in appetite and hunger. The decreased quantity of ghrelin allows patients to reduce their food intake and lose weight faster than traditional methods like dieting or exercising alone.
A robotic sleeve gastrectomy is usually completed within one to two hours, and patients typically leave the hospital within one or two days. Here’s an example of a narrated procedure by Dr. Brown that shows how this surgery can be done with minimal bleeding and trauma to surrounding tissues.