Sleeve gastrectomy helps you lose weight by making your stomach smaller to reduce the amount of food you can eat. During the procedure, your stomach is reduced to a thin, vertical sleeve that holds between 50 and 150 mL (about the size of a banana). A portion of your stomach is removed, and the remaining sleeve is stapled together. The procedure is permanent once your stomach has been reduced.

Sleeve gastrectomy does not affect digestion or how much nutrition you receive from the food you eat. Food passes through your digestive tract just as it did before, allowing it to be fully absorbed by your body. On average, patients lose 50 to 65 percent of their excess weight.

In some cases, a patient may benefit from a two-stage process in order to lose several hundred pounds. In this scenario, gastric sleeve resection is performed as the first stage.

As with any weight loss surgery, you’ll need to make life-long lifestyle changes for lasting results. Northwestern Medicine offers the support you need to make good health a permanent part of your life.