- Home
- Procedures
- Gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana
Gastric sleeve surgery in Tijuana
A restrictive procedure performed laparoscopically that reduces the size of the stomach by approximately 70 %, leaving a narrow tube that produces early satiety. It is today the most performed bariatric operation.
What sleeve gastrectomy involves
This restrictive surgical procedure is performed using a minimally invasive (laparoscopic) technique. Its main purpose is to significantly limit food intake by reducing the size of the stomach by approximately 70 %. By making the stomach smaller, patients feel full much more quickly after eating.
Technically, the stomach is divided along its greater curvature with linear staplers, guided by a calibration bougie, and the resected portion is removed. What remains is a narrow tube, the «sleeve», with a much reduced capacity. The path of the intestine is not altered, which makes this the anatomically simplest procedure in bariatric surgery.
What result can be expected
Combined with a proper nutritional plan, it is estimated that patients successfully lose up to 80 % of their excess weight within 12 to 18 months, leading to a remarkable improvement in health and quality of life. The key word in that sentence is «combined»: surgery alone does not produce that result.
Beyond weight, the operation usually improves obesity-associated disease: type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea, fatty liver, dyslipidaemia and joint pain from overload. In many patients that improvement is the real reason for the surgical indication, beyond the number on the scale.
The lifelong commitment it implies
After a gastric sleeve the way of eating changes permanently: small portions, chewing slowly, separating liquids from solids, prioritising protein and avoiding sugary and carbonated drinks. The diet progresses after surgery from clear liquids to purées, soft food and solids, over weeks and under instruction.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are also needed for life, with periodic lab work. And the uncomfortable point has to be said: reflux can appear or worsen after a sleeve. That is why, in patients with significant reflux or a pre-existing hiatal hernia, it is assessed whether another procedure suits better or whether the hiatus should be repaired in the same sitting.
What the procedure involves
When it is indicated
- Obesity meeting clinical criteria for bariatric indication
- Obesity associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension or sleep apnoea
- Documented failure of non-surgical weight-reduction treatment
- A patient committed to changing habits and attending follow-up
- Fatty liver and dyslipidaemia associated with excess weight
- Limiting joint pain from weight overload
Techniques and resources
- High-definition laparoscopic tower
- Linear staplers with variable staple heights
- Gastric calibration bougie
- Advanced energy sealing devices
- Staple line reinforcement where indicated
Frequently asked questions about gastric sleeve surgery
The goal set with a gastric sleeve and a proper nutritional plan is to lose up to 80 % of excess weight in 12 to 18 months. That is an estimate, not a guarantee: the individual result depends on the starting point, adherence to the eating plan, physical activity and follow-up.
The sleeve can dilate over time, especially if large portions or carbonated drinks are resumed persistently. That is one of the reasons follow-up and dietary re-education are not optional. In some cases of weight regain, revision surgery is assessed.
Yes. A gastric sleeve can, if the case requires it, be converted later into a gastric bypass. This is considered when there is significant weight regain or when severe reflux appears that medication does not control.
Yes. After any bariatric operation, lifelong supplementation is required — iron, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D among others — with periodic labs to adjust it. It is not negotiable: it is part of the treatment.
Bring your studies and settle the question
One consultation with your ultrasound or CT in hand is worth more than ten internet searches. Book by phone or through the form and you will be told what is there, what it means and what your options are.