Less Stomach Means Less Hunger with Tubed Stomach
The tubular stomach surgery has has a proven success worldwide. Since the number of overweight people is continuously increasing, this method is used more and more often. Unlike gastric bypass surgery, the digestive tract is not affected. In tubular stomach surgery in Turkey, the volume of the stomach is surgically reduced by approximately 85 to 150 ml. The stomach can hold less food and the feeling of satiety occurs more quickly. At the same time, the smaller stomach produces fewer hunger hormones. The appetite decreases.
Obesity, or adiposity in Latin, often limits the quality of life. Consequential diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease often shorten life expectancy. If a patient fails to reduce his or her extreme obesity despite dietary changes and exercise, gastrostomy tubing may be a treatment option in the spectrum of bariatric surgical procedures.
Which Patients are Recommended Tubular Stomach Surgery?
As with other stomach reduction surgeries, tubular stomach formation is recommended for severely overweight patients who have already abandoned several weight loss attempts without success. Doctors consider obese patients suitable from a body mass index of 35. This BMI is a measure for evaluating a person’s body weight in relation to their height. The BMI is calculated by dividing the body weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared. As BMI increases, the risk of obesity-related diseases increases. For the procedure, the patient should be at least 18 and no more than 65 years old. A tube stomach is not suitable for patients with reflux disease. That is, with severe acid reflux and heartburn. This also applies to patients whose excess weight results from high-calorie soft foods, sweet drinks or alcohol.
Patients Benefit from Tube Stomach
Tubular stomach surgery is very effective. Within the first 24 months after surgery, patients can lose up to 70 percent of their excess weight. In addition, it is a gentle and short procedure. The stomach functions remained and the closures of the stomach inlet and outlet are not affected. Most importantly, the tube stomach has a positive effect on concomitant diseases of obesity such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, elevated blood lipid and cholesterol levels, back and joint pain, and type II diabetes.
Procedure of Tube Stomach Surgery
Prior to surgery, preliminary examinations include esophagoscopy, gastroscopy and duodenoscopy, as well as ultrasound of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Tube stomach construction is performed under general anesthesia. It is a minimally invasive surgical technique in which the procedure is performed virtually as if through a keyhole. The patient benefits from minimal scarring. The procedure itself takes about an hour in a Turkish clinic, as is common practice around the world. Through small incisions in the abdominal wall, the surgeon inserts the surgical instruments into the abdominal cavity and fills it with carbon dioxide. This gives the surgeon a better view of the surgical area. A stapler is used to remove most of the stomach. The narrow tube stomach from the esophagus to the duodenum is sutured together. Dye is then passed into the stomach to test the tightness of the staple suture. The hospital stay is completed after 4 to 5 days.
Risks and Side Effects of Tube Stomach Surgery
As with any surgical procedure, residual risks cannot be completely ruled out with tubular stomach surgery. These are the complications known with surgery, such as bleeding and post-operative bleeding, infection, thrombosis, embolism or adhesions. In rare cases, there may be disturbances in wound healing or scarring. The professional care of tubular stomach surgery in Turkish clinics reduces these risks to a minimum. The patient must be aware that a tube stomach is not reversible. After the procedure, patients may experience temporary nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin, mineral or protein deficiencies. However, these can be prevented or corrected with appropriate nutritional counseling. And if the patient continues to eat excessively after the procedure, the stomach tube may stretch and enlarge again (dilatation).
Patients Should Actively Cooperate
The recovery period after the procedure is about three weeks. During this time, the patient is not able to work. Physical work is prohibited for four to six weeks. For the first four weeks after surgery, only liquid or pureed food may be fed. The new structure must first gradually get used to solid food. After a few weeks, all foods can generally be eaten again. Caution: A tube stomach does not replace a healthy lifestyle. Long-term success is only guaranteed if the patient maintains a healthy diet and exercises regularly. In many cases, multivitamin preparations or vitamin and iron injections are advisable, if not necessary. People with tube stomachs should consider the following recommendations:
– Eat five to seven small meals daily.
– Separate eating and drinking to prevent free flushing of the tube stomach.
– Eat slowly and chew well.
– Create balanced meals.
Lifelong follow-up and nutritional counseling are necessary to sustain weight loss and prevent deficiencies. Sufferers must be careful when taking medications that irritate the stomach. These include painkillers such as acetylsalicylic acid or (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. Painkillers that are gentle on the stomach are paracetamol or tramadol. Drinking alcohol should also be drastically reduced. The effect of alcohol is significantly increased due to the reduced size of the stomach. It is also not recommended for patients with a tube stomach to donate blood, as it can lead to an iron deficiency.
Costs of Tube Stomach Surgery
Health insurance companies can generally cover the costs of a stomach reduction. The patient must make an application for this together with the doctor, which includes, among other things, a medical certificate. Since the tube stomach with costs of approximately 10,000 € plus hospital stay is the most complex of the bariatric interferences, private people often cannot carry the costs. In Turkey, on the other hand, the procedure is already €4,950.
Advantages and Sisadvantages of the Tube Stomach
Advantages:
– The stomach passage narrows and the feeling of satiety occurs more quickly
– The patient begins to eat a balanced diet.
– The hormone that causes a feeling of appetite decreases.
– The natural flow path in the gastrointestinal tract is maintained.
– Complications and side effects are relatively minor.
– Within a few months, most of the excess weight can be lost.
– The natural function of the digestive system is not affected.
– Tubular stomach surgery is superior to gastric folding surgery in terms of effectiveness.
Disadvantages:
– It is possible to continue weight gain instead of weight loss.
– Patients with excessive BMI are at risk for a second surgery.
– Since 75% of the stomach is reduced by suturing, stitches may be visible
– Liquid, soft calorie foods are absorbed and reduce the rate of weight loss
– There is a small risk of leakage or bleeding in the suture line.
