Gastric Sleeve in Austria

Surgery is performed under general anesthesia using a laparoscope, with several small incisions being made on the belly, a tube fitted with a camera (laparoscope) is then inserted through these incisions to give a clear picture of the insides. The surgeon will view these images, before beginning the process of surgically removing 75% to 80% of the stomach's volume using special surgical instruments. The remaining stomach pouch now resembles a dramatically reduced sleeve or banana. All the instruments are removed and the incisions are stitched and bandages applied to the wounds. 

Gastric sleeve surgery is an inpatient procedure that lasts about one hour in the operation theatre. After this, you are moved to a recovery room where your vitals are monitored. A two to three days hospital stay is required after surgery and you are discharged when your condition is stable. You should stay in Austria for at least 7-8 days for follow up check-ups. During this period, you are kept under review and the stitches are removed after 5 to 7 days. 

It will take two to three months to get back to normal meals and the amount of food you will eat is considerably decreased. You will likely suffer from a swollen and sore stomach for several days, with medicines being prescribed to help deal with the pain during this period. After two to four weeks, you can return to some normal activities, however, on average, six weeks of rest is required. As it is laparoscopic surgery, less time is required to recover and scars are small which fade away over time. 

The following are some points to consider after leaving the hospital:

• Intake only liquids for the first two to three days. After this, you can start taking pureed food and shakes. You will have to continue with this for at least 4 weeks. After which you can start eating solid food items. Do not eat very heavy food items. Avoid drinking water with food, as it fills your small stomach immediately. 
• Follow a proper diet plan as you will have to fulfill your nutritional requirements with a smaller amount of food.
• Take multivitamins and minerals daily. Especially vitamin B12, as pernicious anemia needs to be prevented.
• Do not climb up the stairs, also, do not bend. Avoid those activities which can put stress on your abdomen. 
• Change your bandage regularly and do not let it get wet as this can cause infection. 
• Ensure you have regular check-ups and your weight loss is recorded during these visits.
• Take your painkillers regularly to relieve yourself from the post-surgery pain.

The success rate of Gastric Sleeve is approximately 80% to 90%. You can expect to lose 60% of your excess weight within 12 to 18 months post-surgery. Furthermore, numerous large clinical trials and studies have proven that the surgery improves or resolves obesity-related health problems, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and sleep apnea.

While Gastric Sleeve is an overall safe bariatric surgical procedure with high success rates, complications may still occur during and after the surgery. Some of the main risks of the procedures are bleeding, blood clots, heartburn, weight regain, vitamin or nutrient deficiency, and stenosis.

1. Gastric Band - Considered a reversible Bariatric Surgery option, a silicone device is fitted at the top portion of the stomach, cutting off the bottom section and creating a small stomach pouch above. The reduced stomach size now means the volume of food consumed is much smaller before the patient becomes full, thus resulting in rapid weight loss. Once the desired weight is achieved, the band can be surgically removed.

2. Gastric Bypass - The stomach is divided into two parts; a small upper pouch and a large lower ‘remnant’ pouch. The small intestine is rearranged accordingly, bypassing the large pouch and thus significantly reducing the volume of the stomach.

3. Gastric Balloon - This non-invasive procedure does not involve surgery and instead an inflatable balloon-like device is endoscopically placed into the stomach and inflated, thus reducing the capacity of the stomach. with the balloon occupying most of the stomachs volume, the patient becomes full much quicker, leading to rapid weight loss. Once the desired weight is achieved, the balloon is deflated and removed.