Gastric Sleeve Surgery in Tijuana, Mexico

What Does Gastric Sleeve Do?

Following vertical sleeve gastrectomy, you can only eat small amounts of food. Reducing the size of your stomach will make you feel fuller more quickly. But the procedure serves another purpose: it removes part of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone Ghrelin so that you will feel less hungry in general. The remainder of calories needed come from fat stored in the body, resulting in weight loss. As a result, your body will begin to use stored fat, resulting in rapid, significant weight loss. The reduced amount of Ghrelin also may help to prevent the impulses that cause patients to regain lost weight.

How Common is Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

The gastric sleeve is the most commonly performed weight loss surgery in the United States and worldwide. More than half of bariatric procedures performed in the U.S. annually are sleeve gastrectomies. According to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), more than half of bariatric surgery procedures in the United States were gastric sleeve, with gastric bypass a distant second. The total number of gastric sleeve operations performed annually in 2020, the last year for which statistics are available, was 122,000, yet only about 1% of people who qualify and would benefit from the surgery actually get it. 

All bariatric surgery is restrictive as it decreases the size of the stomach and, therefore, reduces portion size in obese patients who desire to lose weight. The team at Tijuana Bariatric Center in Tijuana, Mexico, performs a variety of weight loss procedures that are restrictive only or restrictive and malabsorptive. Significant research indicates that bariatric surgery also reduces Ghrelin. Gastric sleeve surgery, one of our most popular options, reduces plasma Ghrelin, so patients have decreased appetite.

Gastric Sleeve and the Reduction of the Hunger Hormone

What is Ghrelin, and What Does it Do?

Made in the fundus area of the stomach, Ghrelin is referred to as the “hunger hormone” because it awakens the appetite, increasing food intake. In fact, it can increase appetite by up to 30% when given as a synthetic hormone.

A section of the brain also produces small amounts of Ghrelin, possibly affecting the amygdala, the region involved in reward processing. Therefore, this hormone may be partially responsible for the emotional aspects of overeating. It also affects the hypothalamus, the area of the brain crucial to the control of appetite. The small intestine and pancreas are two other areas that produce small amounts Ghrelin.

Ghrelin stimulates the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. This hormone has protective effects on the cardiovascular system and plays a role in controlling insulin release.

How Ghrelin Levels Can Affect Obesity

In general, you would expect obese individuals to have a higher level of Ghrelin than those who are not overweight. However, this is not necessarily true. Ghrelin levels are usually lower in obese individuals. The difference is obese individuals are typically much more sensitive to the hormone.

Ghrelin levels increase after dieting, possibly explaining why diet-induced weight loss can be difficult to maintain.

How Gastric Sleeve Affects Ghrelin Levels

Research has repeatedly suggested that bariatric surgery is the most effective, long-term solution for obesity. Individuals who have lost weight after their gastric sleeve procedure consistently have lower Ghrelin levels than individuals who primarily lost weight through diet and exercise alone.

Gastric sleeve surgery works so well because the fundus, the portion of the stomach responsible for the majority of Ghrelin secretion, is removed. Therefore, in addition to eating less due to reduced capacity, patients also eat less because the hunger signals are not as strong.

Results vary because all gastric sleeve patients are unique. Plasma Ghrelin levels decrease significantly from the post-operative day and last for more than 24 months following gastric sleeve surgery, which is why excess weight loss can be up to 60% in the six to 18 months following gastric sleeve surgery.

As a result, even if the brain calls for an increase in Ghrelin production, the body won’t be able to produce more of the hormone. Over time, the body will begin to adapt, and Ghrelin levels may increase, leading to weight gain.

Is Ghrelin Reduction Permanent?

While one patient may have a large portion of the stomach removed, another patient may only have a small segment removed, directly affecting the amount of Ghrelin production. It is also possible for the cells in the fundus that produce Ghrelin to grow back at some point, though this does not occur until at least two years after the procedure. Therefore, it is essential to make the necessary preparations as you continue on your weight loss journey.

Other Weight Loss Considerations

Ghrelin reduction is not the only element when it comes to bariatric surgery. Other factors, such as reduced stomach size, exercise plan, and emotional health, all come into play for the long-term success of your treatment. Therefore, if you do not experience a decrease in appetite following your surgery, it is not a cause for concern. Your experienced team of doctors can help you design a personalized dietary plan that will help you succeed. 

Our bariatric surgeons use minimally invasive techniques to perform gastric sleeve surgery

Laparoscopic Weight Loss Surgery Provides Several Advantages

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional open surgery. The use of a special camera called a laparoscope allows your bariatric surgeon to perform the procedure through several smaller incisions instead of a single large one. This can reduce your risk of infections and hernias and minimize recovery time and discomfort.*