Gastric Sleeve Surgery

A gastric sleeve or sleeve gastrectomy is where a large part of the stomach is removed via keyhole surgery, reducing the size of your stomach. This means you cannot eat as much as you did before surgery and you will feel full sooner.

This procedure also reduces the production of appetite-regulating hormones which helps with eating less after surgery.

A sleeve gastrectomy permanently reduces the size of your stomach to help you lose weight and maintain weight loss. This surgery will remove around 4/5 of the stomach permanently. This is known as a restrictive operation which restricts the amount of food and drink your stomach will be able to hold. Removal of this part of the stomach will reduce hunger as it also removes hunger cells that produce a hunger stimulating hormone called ‘ghrelin’.

Benefits include:

• The amount of food you can eat is restricted
• You are likely to feel fuller quicker and stay fuller for longer
• Weight loss starts from the time of surgery
• You can lose on average 50–70% of your excess weight
• The average weight loss after surgery tends to be higher than after a purely restrictive procedure (e.g. the gastric band)
• It is unusual for a patient not to lose the expected amount of weight if correctly following medical advice

The pre-operative diagnostic package has been carefully developed and put in place to ensure all aspects of your journey with us are met both medically, psychologically and emotionally.

Your wellbeing is at the forefront of our care and therefore it is imperative you are fully fit and safe to go ahead with gastric surgery. By meeting with the whole multi-disciplinary team, including your chosen consultant, Dietitian, Psychologist, Bariatric Clinical Nurse Specialist and Anaesthetist, we can be sure that you are fully prepared and informed should you wish to proceed with gastric sleeve surgery.

If deemed fit and well, prior to undergoing gastric surgery, our surgical team will commence you on a ‘liver reduction diet’. This diet is low in carbohydrates and fat but provides moderate protein. This is to shrink your liver down to ensure that the operation can be done by the keyhole (laparoscopic) method. If your liver is too big, the surgeon may abandon the operation, or you will have to have an open operation which can cause greater surgical risks, and your recovery will be delayed.

Post operatively you will need to follow a modified texture diet for six weeks, before returning to a regular texture diet. The diet is separated into four stages:

• Liquids
• Puree
• Soft and moist foods
• Regular and textured diet

On the day of your surgery, the surgical team will advise when it’s safe to begin sipping water. If you tolerate this well, you will then start stage one of the bariatric diet. You should continue with each food texture for two weeks and progress the next stage if you are tolerating well and experiencing no difficulties.

Undergoing gastric sleeve surgery is a lifelong commitment and something that needs to be carefully considered before proceeding. Recovery will be an ongoing road, of which the bariatric specialist team at KIMS Hospital will guide you through closely.

For the initial recovery, you will spend a one night stay at KIMS Hospital following surgery, where you will be monitored by our dedicated nursing team. Once discharged you will be followed up with a phone call after 2-3 days, and then a wound and wellbeing check with the bariatric nurse specialist after one week.

Your surgical incisions should be healed within 10 – 14 days and you will be able to regain normal activities 4 – 6 weeks later. Our team will continue to see and support you for a 12 – 18 months following surgery.

Patient safety is at the forefront of everything we do.

KIMS Hospital has a dedicated team of Bariatric Specialists led by consultants who will guide you through every step of your weight loss journey.

We pride ourselves on ensuring your care is holistic and considers all aspects of your wellbeing, health and lifestyle.

Surgery is just a small part of your journey. Ensuring you are fully prepared and informed, as well as supported and guided pre and post – operatively, is fundamental to a successful outcome.

Should the team feel further investigations are required, these will be clearly explained to you along with treatment options and advice on how to proceed further.

All patients will require a pre-operative package of diagnostic tests and appointments with specialists including a Dietician, Psychologist and Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Undergoing these assessments does not guarantee that you are a suitable candidate for Bariatric surgery. Suitability will be determined based on the results of the pre-operative diagnostic tests and the recommendations of the multi-disciplinary team, as well as your ability to fulfil your assigned weight loss target.

KIMS Hospital follow guidelines from The British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMMS) and NICE guidance when considering patients for bariatric surgery. Therefore, surgery can be an option for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 35 – 40 at the time of surgery, and an existing co morbidity such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. KIMS Hospital has an upper limit of a BMI of 45 at the time of surgery.

If your BMI is above 45, you may still enquire and book a consultation where you will be offered advice on pre-surgery weight loss.

A private gastric sleeve surgery at KIMS Hospital starts from £11,955. You can pay for yourself and use flexible payment plans are available to spread the cost.