In gastric sleeve surgery or sleeve gastrectomy, the stomach is turned into a thin tube. With the laparoscopic method, 80 percent of the stomach is removed. In this way, the stomach makes less food intake. At the same time, the patient’s appetite may decrease after this surgery. However, it is known that some patients did not follow the diet list that the doctor told them and regained some of their weight after the surgery. The percentage of people who regain their weight varies according to the studies, nothing can be said with certainty about this subject, but it can be said that on average, 20% to 30% of the patients regain their weight. The period of weight regain does not start immediately after the operation, this period starts a few years after the operation.
Causes of Weight Gain After Gastric Sleeve Surgery
The reason why patients gain weight after gastric sleeve surgery is usually due to some reasons. The reasons for gaining weight after gastric sleeve surgery are as follows:
- -Careless patient
- -Not choosing the right surgery -Alcohol
- -Not burning calories -Carbohydrate
- -Out-of-control eating
- -Eating fast food
- -Not exercising regularly
During gastric sleeve surgery, the part of the gastric called the fundus must be completely removed. The part called the fundus secretes hunger hormone. If this part cannot be removed completely, the feeling of hunger does not disappear. If the large part of the gastric and the fundus part are not removed, the patients will not change and will consume more food to be satiated normally. If patients continue to eat as much as they used to after surgery, they must consult their doctors immediately.
After gastric sleeve surgery, patients lose approximately 30% of their weight. For example, a 90-kg patient can be expected to lose approximately 60 kilograms after the surgery, but this is insufficient for overweight people. If we consider this rate, obese people may not get the desired result with only the gastric sleeve surgery. For this reason, obese people are advised to make a research on other obesity surgeries instead of gastric sleeve surgery. It is wrong to think that this surgery will remove all of the excessive weight. In addition to this surgery, it is necessary to do sports and follow the diet list given by the doctor.
Returning to your old eating habits with the joy of losing weight after gastric sleeve surgery will bring your old weight back. If you constantly consume high-calorie foods, a gastric sleeve will not keep you fit for a long time. In general, those who cannot lose weight after this surgery and gain weight again are those who return to their old eating habits.
Not only consuming high-calorie and fatty foods, but also excess alcohol is one of the factors that make you gain weight. If you say “I follow my diet list, drinking alcohol can’t
make me gain weight”, you think very wrong. It is a well-known fact that alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories. If you are an alcoholic, the way to avoid weight gain is to reduce your alcohol intake.
Doctors recommend patients to do sports after gastric sleeve surgery. This will keep you fit with your new eating habits and ensure that your weight is permanent. After gastric sleeve, diseases such as diabetes, cholesterol, and sleep apnea that you had before may disappear. It also reduces the risk of a possible cancer.
If you are in the period of weight gain again, you should not be ashamed, and you should talk to your doctor. Doctors will determine why you started to gain weight again and will definitely help you.