Incisionless Gastric Sleeve

Incisionless Gastric Sleeve Procedure in Dallas & Fort Worth

Incisionless gastric sleeve also known as endoscopic gastric sleeve, is an innovative non-surgical, minimally invasive weight loss procedure.

It is an alternative to bariatric weight loss procedure.

It is a new innovative weight loss procedure that leaves no scarring on the patient with reduced associated risks. 

Incisionless gastric sleeve or endoscopic gastric sleeve reduces the size of the stomach by shrunken the walls of the stomach with the use of a suturing device. 

The reduction in the size of the stomach limits the quantity of food the stomach can take.

It also limits appetite for food intake, thus making the patient eat little over a long period of time.

The intake of small quantities of foods leads to a significant reduction in the amount of calories being absorbed into the body.

The patient thus loses weight due to the significant reduction of calories absorbed into the body.

Who is the Ideal candidate for the procedure?

The procedure is not for everybody. You first need to undergo a screening process so that your doctor will know if you are an ideal candidate for the procedure.

The doctor will check your blood pressure, heart rate, and ask you questions about your medical history. 

To be an ideal candidate for an incisionless gastric sleeve procedure, there are some criteria that must be met. 

• You must have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 and above.
• You must have engaged in other ways to lose weight such as exercising or dieting but you have not succeeded in losing weight.
• If you’ve had a stomach surgery before, you are not an ideal candidate for the procedure.
• You should not have gastrointestinal bleeding or a hiatal hernia that is larger than 3 centimeters.
• You should be 18 years or older.
• You should be willing to commit to a healthy lifestyle, attend regular medical check-ups and other behavioral therapies. 

What is the need for incisionless gastric sleeve?

People that are overweight are prone to different diseases and medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, etc.

Apart from helping an overweight patient to reduce weight, it also;

• Reduces the risk of developing any of these diseases and medical conditions.
• The patient becomes healthier and smart.
• Clothes fit easily on the patient’s body.
• The patient looks more attractive.

How to prepare for the procedure

Before the procedure is done, you will need to attend some sessions with your doctor and other healthcare teams.

You will be given specific instructions and dieting plan. You will need to go through some tests and medical examinations.

You may need to follow a special dieting plan for several days before the procedure. You may be required to engage in a physical activity program.

On the night before the procedure, you are not allowed to eat any food or drink any liquid. 

How is an incisionless gastric sleeve procedure done?

Incisionless gastric sleeve is an outpatient procedure. The patient is placed under general anesthesia. This is to make the patient sleep and unconscious for the duration of the procedure.

During the procedure, the patient lies down on an operating bed. The doctor sees the inside of the stomach by passing an endoscope through the esophagus down to the stomach.

A tiny camera is attached to the tip of the endoscope which is connected to a screen or monitor. The doctor is able to view the inside of the stomach on the screen.

The doctor then places about 12 sutures through the endoscope into your stomach. The sutures shrink and reduce the size of the stomach. It also changes the shape of the stomach to take a tube shape.

The sutures reduce the size of the stomach by about 75%. The stomach is reduced significantly to take a very little quantity of food.

The patient can only eat a very little amount of food. The patient also does not feel hungry too often due to the reduction in the hunger hormone.

The high level of reduction in the amount of food the patient is able to eat leads to a significant reduction in the amount of calories absorbed into the body.

Excess intake and absorption of calories into the body is what causes weight gain. When the amount of calories absorbed into the body is greatly reduced, the patient starts to lose weight.

The procedure is done to restrict the amount of food the stomach can take, thereby restricting the amount of calories absorbed into the body.

It takes about 90 minutes for the procedure to be completed.

After the procedure

After the procedure is done, you will be taken to a recovery room where you will be monitored and examined.

If there are no complications, you might be able to go home the same day. If there are complications, you might need to remain in the hospital for one or two more days. 

You should come along with someone that will drive you back home after the procedure because of the effect of the anesthesia.

Diet after the procedure

After the procedure, you are not allowed to eat for the next eight hours.

You will be allowed to only drink water or clear liquids that do not contain sugar or calories after eight hours. 

For the next two weeks, you will be only on liquid diets. Liquids that are low in sugar or does not contain sugar. You can drink black coffee without sugar or creamer. Avoid carbonated beverages during this time. 

After two weeks, you can then proceed into eating semi-liquid or soft foods. Foods that can be easily digested.

After four weeks, you may start eating solid food. By now the stomach is healed and able to digest solid foods. Make sure the foods you eat after the procedure are free from fat, sugar and calories. 

When you eat, do eat slowly and in small quantity. You are allowed to start taking carbonated beverages after a month.

Engage in regular exercises and commit to a healthy lifestyle.

Want to know about Incisionless Gastric Sleeve Procedure ?