Sleeve gastrectomy: have we finally found the holy grail of bariatric surgery? A review of the literature

I. Kehagias, A. Zygomalas, D. Karavias, S. Karamanakos

Department of General Surgery, Nutrition Support and Morbid Obesity Unit, University Hospital of Patras, Greece. ikehag@yahoo.gr

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• Metabolism

OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has become one of the most commonly performed bariatric operations. It is essentially a restrictive bariatric operation; however, a series of hormonal changes occurring postoperatively contribute to decreased appetite and reduced food intake.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a literature review of recent articles published on Pubmed, Medline and Google Scholar databases in English.

RESULTS: Although, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is commonly performed worldwide, there is still a lack of standardization regarding the surgical technique. Standardizing the surgical technique is essential in order to minimize postoperative complications and offer patients the best long-term weight loss.

CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy appears to be an effective bariatric operation. It is relatively easy to perform, well tolerated by the patients and very effective regarding long-term excessive weight loss and resolution of the comorbidities, with minimum nutritional deficiencies.

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