Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS): Virtually Scarless Sleeve Gastrectomy
When science makes our lives easier and better, what’s not to like?
The New York Bariatric Group is proud to be among the first and only surgeons in the area to perform single-incision sleeve gastrectomies. With just one incision through the belly button, recovery times are quicker, and there is virtually no scar.
In most cases, patients spend just one night in the hospital following the procedure. And since there is no need to cut through stomach muscle, there is less pain.
Not too long ago, weight-loss surgeries required a long incision, which, of course, would leave a large scar. Then came laparoscopic surgery, known as minimally invasive surgery, which involves multiple small incisions, each a few centimeters long, and the use of a tiny camera, enabling the surgeon to visualize the surgery and to cut less tissue.
Single-incision laparoscopic surgery — or SILS — is even less invasive.
We already have done several hundred SILS lap band cases, so we have extensive experience with the approach. It is only in the past year that single-incision sleeve gastrectomies have become more common. New York Bariatric Group surgeons are among a select group in the country now offering this procedure. About 40 percent of our patients are now choosing this option. As a group, we have performed about 100 single-incision sleeve gastrectomies, and these patients have been doing very well.
Single-incision sleeve gastrectomies are simpler to perform than gastric bypass operations, resulting in lower complication rates.
During surgery, about 75 to 80 percent of the volume of the stomach is removed, while maintaining the natural openings into and out of the stomach. Because the gastrointestinal track is not changed, the chances of complications like vitamin deficiencies that can occur with gastric bypass surgery are decreased.
The data shows that the overall weight loss with sleeve gastrectomy is similar to gastric bypass. The weight loss helps patients get rid of their medical problems. Because a long tube is created with a lot of resistance, it does severely limit the amount of food that a patient can eat, which contributes to sustained weight loss.
The disadvantage of a sleeve gastrectomy is that because it is a relatively new operation, long-term data is not yet available.
Minimally invasive surgery is a scientific advance that has improved the quality of life for many. Ask your surgeon if you qualify for the new virtually scarless, single-incision sleeve gastrectomy by calling our office at (516) 616-5500 or, if you prefer, click on “Live Chat” in the upper left corner of your screen to have a conversation now.
