What Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery? Weight Loss in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Have you been making effort to lose weight but cannot achieve the results you want? Are you waiting for the next Monday to start yet another trendy diet? Does your weight cause other health issues? If you have a body mass index (BMI) over 35, you might benefit from gastric sleeve surgery.
Being overweight can lead to serious illnesses that last a lifetime as well as psychological and emotional issues. Obesity can increase the likelihood of developing diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. As it leads to many complications, obesity is recognized as one of the leading risk factors for early mortality.
Weight loss surgeries are a group of surgical procedures used to help obese patients lose weight. Gastric sleeve, also known as sleeve gastrectomy or sleeve gastroplasty, has risen to the top of the list of such weight loss procedures over the past several years. In this article, we will look at this surgery in detail and focus on the situation in the Eastern European country, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is Gastric Sleeve Done?
Gastric sleeve, also known as sleeve gastrectomy, is a bariatric surgery that helps people drastically lose weight.
Gastric sleeve surgery is done using general anesthesia. Laparoscopic surgery is frequently used for this operation, which entails inserting small medical instruments through multiple small incisions in the abdominal region. During sleeve gastrectomy, about 80% of the stomach is removed, and the remaining stomach is transformed into a long, narrow sleeve or tube. After the surgery, the stomach resembles the shape and size of a banana and the name of the surgery comes from the sleeve like appearance of the stomach.
By adopting this minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical approach, the gastric sleeve surgery offers a long-term answer to effective weight loss by cutting away 60% to 80% of the stomach. Because no large incisions are made, the minimally invasive procedure also enables a quicker recovery and reduces the level of discomfort felt after the operation.
When compared to gastric bypass surgery, gastric sleeve surgery has a higher success rate, is less complex, and carries fewer risks. A 1-3 day hospital stay is necessary after gastric sleeve operation, and the recovery period is prolonged to about 4-6 weeks.
As the size of the stomach changes drastically with this surgery, the patient’s digestive system is also altered. Post-operation, the amount of food the patient can eat and the amount of nutrients they can absorb is reduced. Patients begin to feel full with smaller portions of food and do not get hungry as often, which stimulates the sharp decrease in their weight all through the following year after the surgery.
Is Gastric Sleeve Reversible?
A gastric sleeve cannot be reversed because of the complicated nature of the procedure. The sleeve gastrectomy is a permanent procedure; unlike the adjustable gastric band and the gastric bypass, it cannot be undone. Being irreversible can be counted as a disadvantage of this surgery. As deciding to have a gastric sleeve surgery is a big decision, you should be aware of all the details about the procedure before you make your final decision. Feel assured that for many patients, the advantages of gastric sleeve surgery greatly exceed its disadvantages.
Does Gastric Sleeve Surgery Work?
We can confidently say that gastric sleeve surgery is very effective. Because the stomach is reduced in size, there is significantly less space for food to be stored inside. As a result, patients cannot eat as much as they once did and feel full much more quickly.
Moreover, the area of the stomach that produces grehlin is removed during the gastric sleeve surgery. Grehlin is commonly referred to as the “hunger hormone” and once it has been removed, many people find that they are much less hungry following the surgery. As the appetite is put under control, following a diet becomes much easier.
What Are the Risks of Gastric Sleeve?
Although having a procedure like a gastric sleeve is generally safe, there are always potential risks. Before choosing if the surgery is right for you, you should go over these risks with your doctor. The majority of the time, side effects are minimal and non-permanent. The overall major complication rate is less than 2%.
Early complications caused by gastric sleeve surgery can include:
- Leakage of new connections in the stomach where incisions were made
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Blood clots
Later complications could be:
- Gallstones
- Gout flare
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Hair loss
- Heartburn or acid reflux
- Excess skin in the areas where drastic weight loss occurs
- Disinterest in food
Each person will experience issues differently during or after the surgery. After the surgery, many patients experience discomfort or pain because their stomach will be changed drastically. You will be eating less food and absorbing fewer nutrients which can stress the body as it adapts to fast hormonal changes. The likelihood of experiencing major risky side effects is reduced greatly if your surgery is performed by a skilled and experienced surgeon who can handle any complications that arise during the operation.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Naturally, even if every patient undergoing gastric sleeve surgery has the same procedures, not every patient will experience the same outcomes. Even if the method is the same, the patient’s post-operative recovery, nutrition, and mobility will have a significant impact on the weight loss outcomes.
Patients may lose more weight if they faithfully adhere to their exercise and dietary plans. Results may vary from patient to patient depending on initial BMI, weight-related health conditions, age, and other variables.
Patients who have gastric sleeve surgery often lose about 100 pounds, or 60% of their excess body weight, however results can vary.
According to statistics, weight loss rates following gastric sleeve surgery appear to follow a timeline. The fastest weight loss occurred over the first three months. Patients should have lost 30–40% of their excess weight by the end of the first six months. The rate of weight reduction levels off after six months. A year after the gastric surgery, many patients slim down to their ideal weight or they are very close to achieving their goal. In about 18-24 months, weight loss typically levels off and comes to a halt.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Gastric Sleeve?
Gastric sleeve weight loss surgery is one of the most preferred procedures for people who have been unable to achieve a healthy weight loss sustained for a period of time with previous weight loss efforts.
In general, weight loss surgery is a viable option for anyone whose body mass index (BMI) is 40 and above. Additionally, if your BMI is between 30 and 35, you can be a candidate for bariatric surgery if you have a preexisting condition that is endangering your health and your doctors advise weight loss.
It is also important that the patients can handle the physical and mental stress that comes with getting gastric sleeve surgery. This is especially important during the recovery period following the surgery. Moreover, patients need to be committed to long-term life changes in order to achieve the best results and keep the weight off in the future.
Gastric Sleeve Diet: Before and After the Surgery
Since the stomach will be changed drastically with the surgery, patients need to follow a diet leading up to the gastric sleeve procedure. In many circumstances, three weeks prior to your gastric sleeve surgery, you should start your pre-op diet. Reducing the fat tissue around the stomach and the liver prior to the surgery helps the surgeons access the stomach more easily. 2-3 days before the surgery, patients need to follow an all-liquid diet to prepare their digestive system for the operation.
After the operation, you should give yourself some time to allow your internal stitches to heal properly and the swelling to subside. You will need to follow a strict all-liquid diet for the next 3-4 weeks. As time passes, your digestive system will progressively get used to foods and beverages. Patients will slowly reintroduce solid foods to their meals. During this time, you will be avoiding certain foods that can cause problems during the recovery period.
Although each patient’s recovery is different, it can take your body three to six months to adapt to the changes.
As the patient begins to lose weight, they become healthier and lead fuller, more active lives, but it is the patient’s obligation to adhere to their doctor’s advice and post-surgery guidelines, including a healthy long-term diet, until the patient reaches their desired weight. Obesity is often connected with mental health and it is important to take care of your mental and physical health during this period to have successful results.
Gastric Sleeve in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Obesity is a grave public health threat worldwide. According to Our World in Data statistics, 39% of adults around the world are overweight and 13% can be categorized as obese.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, approximately 20% of adult (aged 18 years and over) women and 19% of adult men are living with obesity, making the country’s obesity rates lower than the world average, according to the Global Nutrition Report figures. However, there are still thousands of adults living with obesity in the country.
Deaths and illnesses connected with obesity are considerable in middle-income countries across Eastern Europe such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia, etc.
This is why there has been a growing demand for weight loss treatments such as gastric sleeve surgery in recent years.
Where to Get Gastric Sleeve Surgery? Gastric Sleeve Prices in Turkey
Turkey is a popular destination for international patients from Eastern European countries, other European countries, Middle East, and North African countries because of its easy accessibility and affordable treatment prices.
Hundreds of foreign patients, including those from Eastern European countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, travel to Turkey for gastric sleeve surgeries. Turkish medical facilities in cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, and Kusadasi have a lot of experience with weight loss treatments. Also, high exchange rate and low cost of living in Turkey enable patients to receive gastric sleeve treatment in Turkey at very affordable prices. Currently, CureBooking offers gastric sleeve surgery in reputable Turkish medical facilities for €2,500. Many patients travel to Turkey with gastric sleeve medical holiday packages that include all fees for the treatment, accommodation, and transportation for extra convenience.
At CureBooking, we have helped and guided many international patients during their journey to weight loss and a healthier life. If you are interested in learning more about gastric sleeve surgery and special price offers, reach out to us through our WhatsApp message line or via e-mail.
