Recently, gastric sleeve surgery has been widely relied upon to lose weight, and this has led to the spread of questions about the procedure, especially here on the Internet. The most widespread of these questions is the question: When does the risk of leakage go away after sleeve surgery? The reason for the spread of this question is that all those who have undergone the procedure are looking forward to knowing the time when they will be completely safe, away from any complications.
And if you are one of the many cases who underwent gastric sleeve surgery And you search like any other case Regarding the answer to the question: When does the risk of leakage disappear after gastric sleeve surgery? This article contains your desired answer, so continue reading.
Reasons for leakage after gastric sleeve surgery
Before answering when the risk of leakage disappears after gastric sleeve surgery, we will first learn some information about the mechanism of the gastric sleeve procedure.
The idea of the gastric sleeve operation depends on the doctor during the surgery removing more than 70% of the stomach, leaving what remains in the shape of a banana, and then using staples to close the remainder of the stomach.
Leaky stomach occurs if these staples are torn or the wound does not heal properly, causing stomach juices loaded with bacteria to leak into the abdominal cavity.
The causes of stomach leakage after gastric sleeve surgery can be summarized as follows:
- Increased food intake, fullness of the stomach, and intense pressure on its walls, causing the staple line to perforate or reopen the wound again.
- The use of poor quality stitches or outdated techniques in stapling the wound, which allows digestive fluids to leak out.
- The stitches do not close properly and the suture lines rupture, causing digestive fluids to leak.
- Failure to follow post-gastric sleeve advice and instructions regarding diet and lifestyle after the operation.
- The doctor's lack of experience removes a larger volume of the stomach, causing an obstruction or narrowing in the sleeved stomach and increasing the pressure inside the stomach and thus fluid leakage.
Read also: Sleeve surgery price
Types of gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery
There are three types of gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery, and each type has an appropriate treatment according to the patient’s health condition. The types of gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery include the following:
- Early infusion: The leakage that occurs in the first period after gastric sleeve surgery, in the first week of surgery.
- Medium infusionIt is the type that occurs after a short period of time after the gastric sleeve procedure, which may reach more than 10 days.
- Late infusionIt is a leak that occurs after a longer period of time than the previous two types, which may range from a month and a half to a year after the gastric sleeve procedure.
Infusion treatment after gastric sleeve
In the question: when does the risk of leakage disappear after gastric sleeve surgery and how to treat it after the leakage occurs? The step of treating the leakage generally depends on the general condition of the patient and the type of leakage.
We will find that in an unstable general condition, this requires urgent surgical intervention to close the leak, while if the general condition is stable, the patient follows a treatment plan to stop symptoms and prevent complications.
In general, treatment methods for leaky stomach include:
- Use of intravenous antibiotics.
- Use the upper endoscope to place a temporary stent to plug the leaking area.
- Surgical intervention, or absorption of infusion materials to avoid any infection.
- Stop taking meals orally, and insert a tube to deliver food directly through the intestine until It is healed Leakage.
Each of the three types of gastric leakage has a separate treatment plan that can be found in the following lines.
1- Treatment of early infusion
Therapeutic methods vary according to the type of infusion. If the infusion occurs within three days of the operation, i.e. early infusion, treatment includes the following:
- Using an exploratory surgical laparoscope to detect the location of the wound.
- Locate the leak and sew it up immediately.
- Place a feeding tube in the small intestine.
- Prescribing antibiotics.
2- Intermediate infusion treatment
While this type of gastric leakage occurs over a longer period than early gastric leakage, it is not a long period of time, as its symptoms appear within approximately two weeks of the operation.
Treatment methods for moderate infusion include the following:
- is given to the patient Intravenously Antibiotics.
- Absorption of digestive juices to ensure that infection does not occur.
- Using the laparoscope, a stent is placed temporarily to cover the leaking area for a period of 6 to 7 weeks.
- Using a food delivery tube, the patient is fed so that the food reaches the intestine directly until the wound heals.
3- Surgical treatment in late cases
If the patient's general condition is stable, surgery is not resorted to due to the onset of the inflammatory process, and delayed leakage is treated through drainage, the use of stents, and the provision of a feeding tube.
If the patient is in an unstable condition, the surgical option must be resorted to, which includes:
- Perform another surgery, open the abdomen, wash the surgical site, clean the leak, and manually suture the leak site tightly.
- The endoscope is used to install a stent mesh for the stomach at the site of the leak, and it is left in the stomach until complete recovery.
What are the complications associated with leakage after gastric sleeve surgery?
Complications occur after gastric sleeve gastrectomy as a result of the failure of early detection after gastric sleeve surgery and diagnosis of leakage symptoms. These complications include the following:
- Severe infection.
- A severe blood infection that results in septic shock, whose symptoms include severe low blood pressure, dizziness, loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, skin color changes, and fever.
- Failure of a group of body organs.
- Death.
There are some factors that increase the chances of gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery, and these factors include the following:
- The presence of chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
- Low albumin protein in the blood.
- Having sleep apnea.
- Liver and kidney diseases.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Some medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Malnutrition and eating foods high in carbohydrates.
When does the risk of leakage disappear after gastric sleeve surgery?
Returning to the answer to the question of when does the risk of stomach leakage disappear after gastric sleeve surgery? In general, the risk of stomach leakage ends after 6 months after ensuring that the stomach has completely healed.
This is in the case of paying attention and adhering to the doctor’s instructions and the recommended diet after the gastric sleeve procedure. The symptoms of leakage must be monitored to avoid complications from leakage.
Preventing leakage after gastric sleeve surgery
After knowing when the risk of leakage disappears after gastric sleeve surgery, we must know the methods of preventing leakage, and follow the directions provided by the doctor and health care team, which include tips after the gastric sleeve procedure, as follows:
- Commitment to a balanced, low-calorie diet, while reducing... The size or quantity of food And eat gradually.
- Eat slowly and chew well before swallowing.
- Do not drink fluids while eating, and also avoid consuming large quantities of fluids at one time.
- Do not eat solid foods or foods high in fat and sugar.
- Exercise regularly and follow a healthy lifestyle.
- Maintain regular follow-up with the treating medical team.
Frequently asked questions
What is the incidence of stomach leakage after gastric sleeve surgery?
Gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery is an uncommon complication, and its incidence is fairly low, as studies indicate that the incidence of gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery does not exceed 2%.
When does the stomach heal from the inside after gastric sleeve surgery?
Another common question is: When does the risk of leakage disappear after the gastric sleeve procedure? When does the stomach heal? In fact, it takes about 5-6 weeks for the stomach to completely heal from the inside after the gastric sleeve operation.
During this period, the patient must be careful to adhere to a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and avoid lifting weights and strenuous physical activities.
Signs of stomach healing after gastric sleeve surgery include the following:
- Improved food tolerance: The person feels better able to eat in small quantities without feeling full quickly or nausea.
- Relief of surgical symptoms: Postoperative pain begins to subside gradually.
- Weight stabilization: After a period of time, the weight should stabilize and the person will notice an improvement in weight loss.
- Bleeding stops: If a person suffers from bleeding after the gastric sleeve procedure, it begins to stop gradually, and this is noticed by the improvement in the color of the urine and vomit and it becoming less bloody.
- Stabilizes digestive and metabolic functions.
When does the gastric sleeve procedure end?
In general, the average rate of weight loss after gastric sleeve surgery ranges between 60-70% of excess weight, and most people reach their lowest weight within 12-24 months after gastric sleeve surgery.
There may then occur a slowdown in the rate of weight loss or the end of the effect of the gastric sleeve procedure, and some people may gain excess weight again, of course, not as before the operation. The reasons for this are summarized in these points:
- Not following a healthy diet.
- Neglecting to exercise.
- Some health problems such as hypothyroidism.
You must follow up and consult a doctor to solve the problem of slow weight loss or the problem of regaining weight again.
In conclusion, knowing when the risk of gastric leakage disappears after gastric sleeve surgery may alleviate anxiety regarding the problem of gastric leakage after gastric sleeve surgery, if you suffer from obesity problems and are considering gastric sleeve surgery.
You can contact us on our numbers listed on the website and inquire about everything related to infusion after gastric sleeve surgery, as Al Mousa Specialist Hospital provides distinguished medical services, as it includes a team of specialized doctors and uses the latest technologies in the field of treating obesity and thinness.
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