A normal stomach is shaped like a kidney bean. With the sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric sleeve, actual tissue, about three-quarters of a patient’s stomach is removed laparoscopically until the patient is left with a stomach shaped like a banana.

 

With the gastric sleeve, the full part of the stomach, your hunger center, is no longer there. As a result patients are less hungry and their portions are very small. And while the procedure changes a person’s metabolism only slightly, it has a direct and positive effect on diabetes.

 

The gastric sleeve is more permanent but requires less maintenance; patients don’t need to come in for adjustments. In addition, the weight-loss is faster but there’s still enough of your stomach to absorb vitamins, irons, B-12 and certain proteins.