Is Gastric Sleeve Surgery Safe?

It is normal to worry about safety before any operation. A gastric sleeve is major surgery, and no surgery is free of risk. Here is what large studies show, what the risks are, and the steps taken at 360 Sleeve before, during and after surgery.

What large studies show

A sleeve is done laparoscopically, through a few small incisions. Compared with open surgery, this usually means less pain and a faster recovery. Its safety has been studied in hundreds of thousands of people.

• In a U.S. quality registry of more than 93,000 sleeves done in 2015, about 1 in 1,000 people died within 30 days of surgery.
• In a large U.S. study across many health systems, about 3 in 100 people had a major complication within 30 days of a sleeve.
• A study of more than 95,000 people in the U.S. Medicare program found a lower risk of death, complications and repeat procedures in the five years after a sleeve than after a gastric bypass, but a higher chance of needing a revision operation later.

The risks to know

• Reactions to anesthesia, as with any operation.
• Bleeding, usually in the first hours or days.
• A leak from the staple line, which is rare but serious.
• Blood clots in the legs or lungs. Walking soon after surgery helps lower this risk.
• Infection of a wound or inside the belly.
• A narrowing of the sleeve that makes it hard to eat or drink.
• Acid reflux (heartburn), which can start or get worse after a sleeve.
• Low vitamins or minerals over time, which is why vitamins and bloodwork are for life.
• Gallstones during fast weight loss.
• Regaining some weight, years later, for some people.

Weighing the risks of obesity

Obesity raises the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, heart disease and some cancers. In a 2021 analysis of studies with more than 170,000 people, those who had weight-loss surgery were less likely to die during follow-⁠up than similar people who did not, and lived longer on average.

Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea often improve after surgery, and for some people they go into remission. These are averages, not promises. Your own risks and benefits are what your surgeon looks at with you.

Safety steps at 360 Sleeve

• A careful assessment first. Your surgeon reviews your health history with you before you decide.
• Bloodwork, an ECG and other checks before surgery, and a visit with the anesthesiologist to make sure your health is ready.
• Two bariatric surgeons perform every sleeve together, in our CPSO-inspected surgical facility in North York.
• A recovery nurse stays with you for the first hours after surgery. Most people go home the same day.
• Clear instructions for home, and a nurse to call with questions.
• Six years of 360 Complete Care, with follow-⁠ups and bloodwork at 6 months and then every year.

Your surgeons

Dr. Kashif Irshad (MD, MSc, FRCSC) is Chief of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery at William Osler Health System. Dr. Ali Hazrati (MD, MSc, FRCSC) completed a fellowship in laparoscopic bariatric surgery at Stanford. Both are Royal College-certified, and you meet your surgeon before you decide.