Since obesity continues to impact people from all over the world, this leaves many people wondering “what can we do about it”? There are many options for weight loss, such as diet, exercise, or even pills, but surgery still tends to give us the best weight loss results. Among the many weight loss surgery options comes the ever so popular VSG or vertical sleeve gastrectomy (aka gastric sleeve or sleeve gastrectomy).
VSG is an attractive weight-loss surgery due to its excellent permanent weight loss results, minimal risks, and faster recovery compared to other weight loss surgeries since it cuts only a small hole in the body while using a tiny camera to have the surgery done. All this does sound great to help people lose weight, right? But the real question comes down to “how do you qualify for VSG surgery?”. It is important to understand who can and cannot qualify to have VSG surgery for safety reasons and to also know if the surgery will work for you.
VSG Surgery
VSG surgery or vertical sleeve gastrectomy offers overweight patients hope by providing long-term weight loss. Unlike yo-yo dieting and exercise that are not permanent solutions, VSG surgery is a real mind and body transformation.
- It provides patients a chance to have a healthy, attractive body.
- VSG surgery also works to cure underlining physical conditions (cholesterol, diabetes, etc) and mental health conditions from obesity (depression).
VSG surgery’s role in the body
VSG surgery’s role in the body is to encourage the body to naturally make you stop eating as much. Now that you know what VSG surgery is you may be wondering “well, how does VSG surgery work?”. VSG surgery works by restricting daily patient food intake since it cuts out roughly 80% of their stomach.
- This surgery works with the biology of your body to reduce your hunger hormone levels, curbing your hunger and cravings after surgery.
- Once the large part of the stomach is cut away after VSG surgery, the body will naturally respond to the smaller stomach size by reducing hunger hormone levels.
VSG Research
VSG research has been a useful tool at helping us understand the benefits. Patients who have lower BMIs before VSG surgery tend to show the best results. But you may ask “what about patients who have very high BMI’s, can VSG surgery help them at all?
A study published in 2019 looked at the outcomes of 134 VGS patients with extreme obesity. Patients were considered “super-obese”, with an average BMI of 55.9. Learning about the impact of VSG on this group of patients helps us better understand just how useful VSG can be.
- An average of 62.2% of patientsreported their diabetes (type II) had been resolved.
- Patients achieved an average total weight loss at different years over time and percentages, which can be seen in the following chart…
| Years | The average percent of total weight loss for extremely obese patients |
| 5 | 30.7% |
| 6 | 28.7% |
| 7 | 29.7% |
| 8 | 27.9% |
VSG Surgery Qualifications
VSG surgery qualifications are requirements that make a person a good candidate for this surgery. If patients meet the following qualifications, they can be allowed to have VSG surgery with physician approval.
VSG Surgery Qualifications Chart
| Qualifications | Details |
| Commitment | Patients must be able to commit to a special diet before and after VSG surgery as well as a healthy lifestyle. |
| BMI | Patients must have a BMI of 40 or greater. One exception is that people with a BMI of 35 or greater can be approved for surgery if they have conditions related to obesity (high blood pressure, liver failure, etc.).
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| Anesthesia | Patients must not have any medical condition that would stop the use of general anesthesia.
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| Smoking | Patients must temporarily stop smoking before and after VSG surgery. Your physician will educate you on the timing best for you, but you can expect to stop smoking for a few days before and after VSG surgery.
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Final thoughts
Final thoughts on VSG surgery qualifications definehow a person can work to meetthe criteria needed to qualify for surgery. Some qualifications can be out of your control, such as having a specific medical condition. Other qualifications can be in your hands such as your commitment to maintaining weight loss and healthy nutrition. When deciding if you would qualify for VSG surgery, consider talking to your physician about your current health situation.
References:
- Jet Medical Tourism. 2020. What is VSG surgery? https://jetmedicaltourism.com/what-is-vsg-surgery. Web. Accessed: 17, Mar. 2021.
- Gil-Rendo A, Muñoz-Rodríguez JR, DomperBardají F, Menchén Trujillo B, Martínez-de Paz F, Caro González MDP, Arjona Medina I, Martín Fernández J. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for High-Risk Patients in a Monocentric Series: Long-Term Outcomes and Predictors of Success. Obes Surg. 2019 Nov;29(11):3629-3637. doi: 10.1007/s11695-019-04044-7.