Gastric Sleeve vs Bypass: What’s the Difference?

When your weight is putting your health at risk and you’ve tried everything to lose weight, bariatric surgery may be the logical next step.

Bariatric surgery is a procedure that alters the digestive system, specifically the stomach. Gastric sleeve surgery and gastric bypass surgery are the two most common types of bariatric surgery for obese people. Both are frequently referred to as weight loss surgery.

While both procedures have the same goal of assisting people in losing weight, they have significant differences and similarities worth discussing. So, let’s compare gastric sleeve vs. bypass so you can make an informed decision when discussing your options with your doctor.

The Differences Between Gastric Sleeve and Bypass Surgery

Both surgeries reduce the size of your stomach to that of a small pouch.

Because you have a smaller stomach area, you will feel full on a much smaller amount of food. Smaller stomachs also produce less ghrelin, the hormone responsible for hunger.

The two surgeries differ in the way they create a smaller stomach pouch.

The Effects of Gastric Sleeve Surgery on Stomach Size

Gastric sleeve surgery is a weight loss procedure that removes approximately 80% of your stomach.

It’s almost always a minimally invasive procedure involving keyhole surgery (small incisions) and a laparoscope.

The surgeon will insert a long thin tube into your abdomen through tiny incisions. A small camera and other surgical instruments are attached to the tube, allowing the surgeon to operate.

Surgeons use general anesthesia to perform gastric sleeve bypasses, which means you will be put into a deep sleep and will require a ventilator during the procedure.

The surgeon divides your stomach into two unequal parts, leaving 20% on one side and removing the remaining 80% on the other.

After the excess stomach material is removed, the surgeon will suture the remaining stomach together, leaving a tubed-shaped stomach (called a gastric sleeve) that is approximately 25% of its original size.

An hour is all that is required for gastric sleeve surgery. After that, you’ll spend at least another hour in postoperative care as you recover from anesthesia.

The small incisions will heal relatively quickly, and because gastric sleeve surgery is minimally invasive, recovery times are short. Most patients will be able to return home after two or three days.

For a few weeks, you will be on a liquid diet, then gradually transition to pureed foods before beginning solid foods.

Because of your smaller stomach, your meals will contain significantly less food than you are used to. To eat more nutrient-dense foods, most people will need to stop drinking during meals.

How Does Gastric Bypass Affect Stomach Size?

By bypassing a large portion of your stomach and some of your small intestine, this procedure, also known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, creates a small stomach pouch.

The food bypasses the duodenum and attaches directly to the small intestine, reducing fat absorption significantly.

Your doctor will first consult with you to ensure that a gastric bypass is the best option for you. In many cases, gastric bypass, like gastric sleeve, is a keyhole procedure. However, it may be necessary to carry out an entire operation at times.

Similarly to the gastric sleeve, your doctor will put you on a liquid-only diet for a few weeks before transitioning to pureed food and then back to solids.

Dietitians will advise you on which foods to eat because it is critical to maximize the number of nutrients you get from a smaller amount of food.

To compensate for the shortfall caused by bypassing the small intestine, vitamin and mineral supplements will be required. These supplements must be taken for the rest of your life.

Gastric Bypass and Gastric Sleeve Surgery Risks

Every surgery carries some level of risk. Weight loss surgery, on the other hand, is a common procedure that has a high success rate. Infection is the most serious risk, but antibiotics reduce it to an acceptable level. Minor risks include leaks from the staple joins and bowel obstruction.

Following weight-loss surgery, some patients experience low blood sugar levels. Consult your doctor about ways to reduce or eliminate these risks.

Recovery Times for Gastric Sleeve vs. Bypass

A gastric bypass is more difficult than a gastric sleeve because the former is a two-step procedure, whereas the latter is a single procedure.

Both surgeries can be performed with a laparoscope, which shortens recovery times. After 1 or 2 days of being able to hold down liquids, you will be allowed to go home.

If you are in a lot of pain after the surgery, your doctor may advise you to stay in the hospital so that you can be monitored for a few more days.

Because of the more complicated nature of a gastric bypass, you should expect to spend at least two days in the hospital recovering.

Due to the wounds caused by large incisions, a gastric bypass performed via open surgery will necessitate more recovery time. Expect to be hospitalized for at least 4 to 5 days.

Possible Weight Loss Surgery Complications

The majority of surgeries that patients undergo are successful, but each has its own set of risks and potential complications.

Complications from a Gastric Sleeve

Following gastric sleeve surgery, patients may experience some of the following complications:

• Reflux of acid
• Leaking stomach fluid
• Stomach obstructive disease
• a constriction of the stomach pouch

Complications of Gastric Bypass

After a gastric bypass, there is a higher risk of nutritional deficiency, but there may be other complications, such as:

• Ulcers in the stomach
• Develop an alcohol sensitivity
• Perforations in the stomach
• Obstructions in the bowels

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Gastric Sleeve vs. Gastric Bypass

Each type of surgery has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, which can help you decide which is best for your situation. Let’s check all of them

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Gastric Sleeve

Patients undergoing gastric sleeve surgery typically lose 65 percent of their excess body weight. Because the surgery is completed in one sitting, there is a lower risk of complications. Patients recover sooner, faster and can absorb more minerals and nutrients than gastric bypass patients.

The main disadvantages of gastric sleeves include slower weight loss, the fact that it is not reversible, and the risk of acid reflux.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Due to the stomach not absorbing as many calories, bypass patients frequently lose up to 80% of their excess body weight. Weight loss is also faster than with a gastric sleeve. While reversing the surgery is difficult, it is not impossible.

Gastric bypass surgery is done in two stages by surgeons. For starters, the risk is higher, and the recovery period is longer. There is also a risk of nutritional deficiencies as a result of malabsorption.

Choosing What Is Best For You

Consultation with your doctor is the best way to determine which weight loss surgery is best for you. To assist the obesity treatment patient in making a decision, they will consider their weight, medical history, existing health conditions, and expectations. It is however best to consider that patients must always control their eating habits even months after the surgery. This way it will be the most effective.

Gastric Sleeve Vs. Bypass Comparison

Gastric Sleeve

Procedure

• Remove Portion
• Of the Stomach

Used Techinique: Endoscopy

Full Recovery: 1-3 weeks

Weight Loss: 60-65% extra weight

Gastric Sleeve Pros

• lose 60 – 65% extra weight
• Lower expected Complications
• Faster recovery time

Gastric Sleeve Cons

• less weight loss
• can not be reversed
• slower weight loss

Gastric Bypass

Procedure: By attaching a pouch to the intestine, the stomach is bypassed.

Method: Endoscopy

Recovery Duration: 2 – 4 Weeks

Gastric Bypass Pros:

• Lose up to 80% of your excess weight
• more rapid weight loss
• can be reversed

Gastric Bypass Cons:

• increased likelihood of complications
• longer recovery time 
• risk of dumping syndrome

Results: Extra weight loss of up to 80%

Cost of Gastric Sleeve vs. Bypass

The cost of this procedure, like any other surgery, varies depending on several factors, including the geographic hospital location and the surgeon’s experience. It is worth noting that the cost of surgery may not include all fees, such as aftercare services and anesthesia, in some locations.

For example, the cost of a gastric bypass surgery ranges from £8,000 to £15,000, while a sleeve gastrectomy costs between £8,000 and £10,000. According to the National Health Service (NHS), in the United Kingdom. A patient from the US would pay  around $17,500 for sleeve gastrectomy, and the bypass costs around $27,000

While the cost of a gastric sleeve and bypass surgery in Turkey ranges from €3990 to €6990, the cost of a robotic operation is €6990.

Recently, Istanbul has become a popular destination for people from all over the world seeking medical care. Reasons for this include low prices, highly skilled doctors, and specialized medical services.

At Global Medical Care, we offer all fee packages that are fully inclusive. This package includes all surgical services, such as hospital charges, surgeon and anesthetist fees, and an aftercare policy.

You can be confident that you are in the hands of medical experts who can achieve the results you desire when you work with us. To find out the exact cost of Weight Loss Procedures, please contact us