Obesity Control Center - The Obesity Control Center is the world leader in weight-loss surgeries

Gastric Sleeve (gastrectomy) complications are relatively rare and when they occur most likely it is during or very shortly after the procedure. These are generally not life threatening and can be managed safely either surgically or non-surgically.

Some of the more frequently described post-operative surgical complications  are upper gastro-intestinal bleeding, leakage and stricture. After normal recovery has occurred, most patients experience some form of solid food intolerance but that tends to improve and is cleared up after a few months. Stricture and complete intolerance to solid foods are rarely reported. Gastric sleeve stretching can also affect weight loss and to avoid this it is necessary to carefully follow our eating and nutrition guidelines.

Intolerance to solid foods, commonly manifested by pain after swallowing, the feeling of food getting “stuck” and regurgitation or vomiting, is not uncommon after sleeve gastrectomy. This is why a careful and well-planned diet after the surgery is necessary. During the early healing stages we expect some swelling in the stomach that can narrow the already slimmed sleeve stomach and this can cause some delay in the gastric emptying or even food getting stuck which in turn leads to nausea, pain and vomiting.

The initial three-week liquid diet is designed to prevent this from happening.  Having small sips of liquids and pausing before the next sip are also necessary. After the liquid diet phase, patients go in to a transitional diet that involves soft, easy to chew and pure foods. If the patient  has no difficulties eating, she or he is advanced to a normal balanced  solid food diet where adherence to eating guidelines must be followed: Eating  three to five small meals per day with a consistent schedule, small bites of food, at a slow pace (at least 20 minutes per meal), chewing every bite 20 to 30 times, no mixing solids and liquids, and stopping when full.

Acid reflux disease usually resolves or improves after weight loss surgery, although in some gastric sleeve patients with acid reflux symptoms prior to surgery, symptoms  can persist, requiring  oral antacids.