Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG)

Abstract

The sleeve gastrectomy (SG) operation has become an increasingly accepted procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity. Initially utilized as a risk-reduction strategy (staging) for the biliopancreatic diversion/duodenal switch (BPD/DS) procedure, many institutions are now implementing SG as a stand-alone operation. Short-term outcomes data published in peer-reviewed literature have demonstrated SG's safety and efficacy. However, sufficient long-term follow-up has yet to be acquired and reported. Among the pertinent questions that need to be answered are: what are the acceptable indications for SG, and what function should the procedure serve in the bariatric field? How safe is SG, and how efficacious is the procedure in terms of weight loss and resolution of obesity-related co-morbidities? What are the nutritional consequences after surgery? How does SG measure up to the more established bariatric procedures in each of these parameters? This chapter seeks to discuss some of these issues based on evidence published in peer-reviewed resources, as well as provide a general overview of this increasingly popular procedure. © 2010 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.