Sleeve Gastrectomy in Sharjah

What is sleeve gastrectomy?

Sleeve gastrectomy is an operation that reshapes the stomach into a slim tube, roughly the shape of a banana, by stapling along its length and removing the outer curve. It is the most commonly performed of the procedures described on the bariatric surgery overview page.

Two details surprise many patients. First, the part of the stomach that is removed, the dome at the top called the fundus, is where most of the hunger hormone ghrelin is made, so the operation changes appetite as well as capacity. Second, the intestine is left exactly as it was. Food still passes through the full length of the small bowel, which keeps digestion and the absorption of most medicines close to normal. The removed part of the stomach is taken out of the body, so a sleeve is permanent.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, sleeve gastrectomy is performed laparoscopically by the general and laparoscopic surgery team.

Who needs it

Sleeve gastrectomy is considered for adults with severe obesity whose weight has stayed high despite structured diet, activity and medical treatment. International guidance generally considers surgery at a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above, or 35 or above when weight is driving a condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea, and newer guidance and lower thresholds for people of Asian background widen that range. An obesity and metabolic assessment often comes first.

The sleeve suits people who want a simpler anatomy with the intestine untouched, people who take regular medicines whose absorption matters, and people planning a staged approach, since a sleeve can later be converted to another procedure. Where heartburn is already a daily problem, the surgeon may favour a gastric bypass instead, because a bypass tends to ease reflux. The decision weighs your BMI, your other conditions, your reflux symptoms, your eating pattern and your preference, and the surgeon explains each option before you choose.

What happens

Sleeve gastrectomy is done under general anaesthesia through several small cuts in the abdomen. A soft calibration tube is passed down through the mouth into the stomach to act as a guide, and the surgeon staples alongside it so the new sleeve has an even width from top to bottom. The outer part of the stomach is then lifted out through one of the small cuts.

Before the operation ends, the staple line is checked for any leak. You wake in the recovery area and start small sips of water once the team is satisfied. Getting out of bed and walking early is part of the treatment, because it helps the bowel wake up and lowers the chance of clots. Most people stay in hospital for a short period of observation before going home on a liquid diet.

Preparing for it

Preparation starts weeks before the operation. A dietitian at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah meets you to review how you eat now and to set out the staged diet that follows surgery. Many surgeons ask for a short liver-shrinking diet in the days before a sleeve, low in sugar and starch, which makes the liver softer and easier to lift during keyhole surgery.

You will have blood tests, including baseline vitamin and iron levels, and an anaesthetic review. A psychological evaluation is arranged as part of your care pathway. Bring a full list of your medicines: diabetes treatment usually needs adjusting as your food intake falls, and blood thinners need a plan. Stop smoking well ahead of time. If Ramadan falls in the months after your planned date, raise it early, because the first stages of healing need steady fluids through the day.

Afterwards

The diet moves in stages: clear fluids, then full fluids, then puréed and soft food, and finally small meals of normal texture. Protein comes first at every meal, fluids are sipped between meals rather than with them, and eating slowly helps the narrow sleeve empty comfortably. In the Sharjah heat, carry a water bottle and sip steadily all day, since dehydration is the most common reason for an early return to hospital.

A daily multivitamin, and usually vitamin B12, iron, calcium and vitamin D, are part of life after a sleeve, with blood tests at regular follow-up visits for good. Your surgeon gives you a personal plan for returning to work, whether you drive, sit at a desk or lift for a living. For later Ramadans, fasting is discussed with your team once the sleeve has healed and your eating is settled: Suhoor built around protein and water, and a small Iftar eaten slowly.

Contact the hospital urgently if you have a fever, a fast heart rate, pain that is getting worse, or you are vomiting and unable to keep fluids down. **Go to the emergency department straight away if you have chest pain, sudden breathlessness or a painful, swollen leg.**

Cost and insurance

Sleeve gastrectomy needs insurance pre-approval, and many UAE plans exclude weight-loss surgery altogether. Plans that include it usually ask for a documented BMI, evidence of supervised weight-loss attempts, a record of weight-related conditions, and dietitian and psychological assessments. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your policy and prepare the paperwork on 06 599 7777.