The most common and safe approach to a Gastric Sleeve Surgery is done laparoscopally, which is a type of surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to access the inside of the abdomen (tummy) and pelvis through small incisions The surgeon then uses a laparoscope. This is a small tube that has a light source and a camera, which relays images of the inside of the abdomen or pelvis to a monitor, where the surgeon has an optimal view to perform the surgery. This usually translates into a shorter hospital stay, a faster recovery time, less pain and reduced scarring. As we mentioned, laparoscopy is the most commmon and safe approach to bariatric surgery.

Patients considering laparoscopic bariatric surgery often ask: How many incisions do you get with Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Gastric Sleeve Incisions

Tipycally, 5 -7 incisions are made while performing a Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

But the most common approach for a Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve is done using 5 incisions:

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• Stomach Retraction Port
• Camera Port
• Liver Retraction Port
• 5 mm Port
• Additional 5 mm port.

Reduced Port Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve

At My New Body Obesity Center we sometimes can perform, depending on the patient,  what we call a Reduced Port Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve (RPLGS) through only three or four incisions. While many surgeons describe the use of five to seven ports for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, in some cases it is possible to reduce the number of port utilized when performing the Gastric Sleeve. It can be done safely, and offer good cosmetic outcomes.  Nevertheless it remains technically challenging and only highly skilled and experienced bariatric surgeons are able and feel confortable performing this surgical technique. 

If you are looking for a virtually scarless procedure you could also consider a Single-Incision Laparoscopic Sleeve.