Can sleeve be problem later when you get older?

johnm · February 19, 2011

I am planning to have the sleeve in April. I am probably over-thinking all that could happen when you permanently cut off half your stomach. I am a little concerned about what happens when you get older or old. I think that normally (without any surgeries) the stomach shrinks naturally as you get older. For example, my mother is 85 and she can only eat tiny meals and she is full quickly. So, if you have half the stomach when you get old and it shrinks on top of that, wouldn't it cause problems soehow? May be you eat even less and be very unhealthy because you can't put anything in. In general, it could just make you that much weaker and fragile.

Sorry, I am a big planner in everything, so I always plan ahead.....even my old age!

Also, it seems to me that that it should be obvious that the sleeve makes much more sense than a band - there is no going back to adjust the Fluid and gives much quicker results. So, why would anyone want to go through the band? I know there must be good resons but I just don't know what they are?

Just joined - wonderful forum!

groovearmada · February 19, 2011

Hi John, this was my main worry too and i got some brill answers:

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/13562-future-stomach-problems/page__p__115941__fromsearch__1#entry115941

johnm · February 19, 2011

Thank you very much - this helped much! Impressed by how quick your response was! Thanks again

Hi John, this was my main worry too and i got some brill answers:

http://www.verticals...__1#entry115941

Travis Goodnight MD FACS · February 19, 2011

We really just look at the thousands of patients that got gastrectomies in the 1970's and 80's prior to the invention of Pepcid and Prilosec for ulcer disease. These patients do remarkable well. Now usually in that type of operation, those patients lose the antrum of their stomach so Vit B12 is more of a concern. Sleeve patients keep a large portion of their antrum so Vit B12 is less of a worry. So, although the sleeve has been around for only about 10 years or so officially, gastrectomies have been around for many years.

I will say one thing, I have not operated on too may morbidly obese 85 year olds. The obesity brings along so many health problems that longevity is more difficult with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc. There just aren't many (if any) 350-400lb 85 year olds.

It's a great question though. I have an 18 year old patient who is wanting the sleeve and asked the same question. He is actually the one who asked the question then immediately followed it with this answer..."Well, that's kind of dumb question I guess because if I don't do something about my weight now, I'm going to die before I could ever see what would happen anyway". I told him no dumb questions but he's absolutely right that his health is suffering tremendously.

johnm · February 19, 2011

Thank you - you are making a great point!

Sound like you have looked at a few of the older folks in some detail and I am curious: since the stomach after the sleeve looks like and is about as big as a banana, what would a sleeved stomach look at, say, 80-85 years old (assuming you had the sleeve done in the fifties)?

Also, about the second part to my question, if you can, what would be a key benefit of choosing a Band over a Sleeve?

Thank you very much for your help! It was very nice of you respond! Don't mean to take advantage of you by asking more.

We really just look at the thousands of patients that got gastrectomies in the 1970's and 80's prior to the invention of Pepcid and Prilosec for ulcer disease. These patients do remarkable well. Now usually in that type of operation, those patients lose the antrum of their stomach so Vit B12 is more of a concern. Sleeve patients keep a large portion of their antrum so Vit B12 is less of a worry. So, although the sleeve has been around for only about 10 years or so officially, gastrectomies have been around for many years.

I will say one thing, I have not operated on too may morbidly obese 85 year olds. The obesity brings along so many health problems that longevity is more difficult with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, etc. There just aren't many (if any) 350-400lb 85 year olds.

It's a great question though. I have an 18 year old patient who is wanting the sleeve and asked the same question. He is actually the one who asked the question then immediately followed it with this answer..."Well, that's kind of dumb question I guess because if I don't do something about my weight now, I'm going to die before I could ever see what would happen anyway". I told him no dumb questions but he's absolutely right that his health is suffering tremendously.