Published online Nov 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i41.11804
Peer-review started: May 6, 2015
First decision: June 23, 2015
Revised: August 6, 2015
Accepted: September 30, 2015
Article in press: September 30, 2015
Published online: November 7, 2015
Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a restrictive bariatric surgery technique that was first used as part of restrictive horizontal gastrectomy in the original Scopinaro type biliopancreatic diversion. Its good results as a single technique have led to a rise in its use, and it is currently the second most performed technique worldwide. SG achieves clearly better results than other restrictive techniques and is comparable in some aspects to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, the current gold standard in bariatric surgery. These benefits have been associated with different pathophysiologic mechanisms unrelated to weight loss such as increased gastric emptying and intestinal transit, and activation of hormonal mechanisms such as increased GLP-1 hormone and decreased ghrelin. The aim of this review was to highlight the salient aspects of SG regarding its historical evolution, pathophysiologic mechanisms, main results, clinical applications and perioperative complications.
Core tip: The most salient aspects of sleeve gastrectomy, a restrictive bariatric surgery technique yielding better results than other restrictive techniques that cannot simply be explained by weight loss, are reviewed.