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Dr. Gonzalez describes the possible complications associated with the sleeve gastrectomy.
Dr. Gonzalez:
The sleeve gastrectomy is a more invasive procedure than a laparoscopic band and because of that, the sleeve gastrectomy has potential for more complications. Some of them are bleeding, because there is a large cut in the stomach, you can bleed from the operation, so the patient may have a low hemoglobin, the patient may notice some blood coming out of the drain. In addition to that, there could be leakage. In other words, the staple line cannot heal perfectly and the patient will leak a bit out of the staple line.
You can have vomiting where if the sleeve is made too tight, you are not able to drink food; then you may have some vomiting. In addition to that, you may have problems with wound healing because we do remove a portion of the stomach, and it has to come through the wound and you can get an infection in the wound, and then longer-term complications would be issues with nutrition. You don’t have the vitamin and mineral issues like you do with the bypass because there is no real malabsorption, but the patient is eating less so you have to make sure that patient is tolerating enough protein.
About Dr. Gonzalez, M.D.:
Anthony Gonzalez, M.D., is a general and bariatric surgeon at the Baptist Hospital of Miami and South Miami Hospital. He has been practicing medicine for more than 10 years and focuses his interest on bariatric surgery and laparoscopic surgery.
Visit Dr. Gonzalez at Baptist Health South Florida