Sleeve Gastrectomy

Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Juhu

Obesity rarely arrives alone. It tends to bring type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint strain, disrupted sleep, and cardiovascular risk along with it. For many patients, diet and medication have been tried seriously, over years in some cases, without lasting results. Sleeve gastrectomy in Juhu, Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals is one option worth understanding closely when other approaches haven't held. Sleeve gastrectomy is a weight-loss surgery where roughly 75-80% of the stomach is removed, leaving behind a narrow tube-shaped stomach. This restricts how much food a person can eat and reduces hunger hormone production, leading to significant, sustained weight loss over time.

What the Procedure Involves

Roughly 75 to 80 percent of the stomach is removed during this weight loss surgery - mainly the outer curve that sits beneath the left rib cage. What's left behind is a narrow tube, holding somewhere between 60 and 100 millilitres. Think of it as the stomach going from a large pouch to something long and slim.

This isn't a bypass. Food still follows its usual path - food pipe to stomach to intestine - just through a much smaller space. The pylorus, the valve controlling how food exits the stomach, stays untouched, so digestion remains close to its natural rhythm.

One thing patients notice early, often before real weight loss shows: hunger drops. Part of the reason is that the portion of the stomach removed also happens to produce ghrelin, the hormone that drives appetite.

Who Is a Candidate

Weight alone doesn't decide eligibility, though BMI is where the conversation usually starts.

BMI above 35 is generally considered sufficient grounds, even without other conditions present
BMI above 32 alongside diabetes, hypertension, or obstructive sleep apnoea often warrants earlier evaluation, given how quickly these conditions can respond post-surgery
Eating patterns are assessed individually, since outcomes vary depending on how a person eats now
Psychological readiness matters - patients who understand that surgery changes the stomach, not the underlying habits around it, tend to do better afterward

Consult the best bariatric surgeons in Juhu, Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals to understand your eligibility.

Before the Procedure

Evaluation typically includes a detailed medical history, blood work, and an assessment of eating behaviour and psychological readiness. Patients are counselled on what to expect at each stage, since informed expectations shape recovery as much as the bariatric surgery itself.

During the Procedure

Most cases are done laparoscopically, through five or six small incisions across the abdomen, each under 1.5 centimetres. A camera and surgical instruments go in through these openings. The left portion of the stomach is divided and removed using stapling devices, leaving behind the narrow gastric tube. The pylorus is preserved throughout, keeping the digestive process physiologically close to normal.

How It Compares to Other Bariatric Procedures

Compared to gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy surgery carries a few practical advantages. It's technically less complex, with no intestinal rerouting involved. The risk of serious malabsorption is lower, and most patients avoid dumping syndrome - the uncomfortable post-meal symptoms some bypass patients deal with. The stomach's natural anatomy and outlet stay intact.

Bypass may still be the better route for patients with severe, long-standing acid reflux, or diabetes that hasn't responded to medication over many years. That decision comes after individual assessment, not a default preference either way.

After the Procedure

Diet moves through stages over the first several weeks. Liquids only in the beginning, followed by soft, blended foods, then a gradual shift toward regular meals. Portion sizes stay small throughout - often just a few tablespoons per meal in the early weeks.

Nutrition afterward isn't optional or short-term:

High protein intake becomes a priority at every meal
Long-term supplementation - vitamin B12, calcium, iron - continues well past initial weight loss goals
Structured follow-up is scheduled at regular intervals to track progress and catch issues early

Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and joint pain often start improving within weeks of surgery, sometimes before significant weight loss has even occurred. Regain is possible over time if eating patterns gradually expand the sleeve. The surgery creates real advantage. Holding onto it depends on what happens afterward, not just what happens in the operating room.