A Sleeve Gastrectomy (or gastric sleeve) is an operation to reduce the size of the stomach. This is achieved by stapling the stomach along its length and removing the excess portion, leaving a long tube or sleeve.
Although the shape of the stomach is drastically changed it continues to function normally, albeit the quantity of food consumed will be considerably less.
The gastric sleeve works in three ways. Firstly, it is a restrictive procedure, meaning that it achieves weight loss by restricting the amount of food that can be eaten. It also works because it removes the part of the stomach that produces the hormone Ghrelin, which is the hormone that stimulates appetite and hunger. The elimination of Ghrelin results in a significant reduction or loss of appetite.
