Sleeve gastrectomy: have we finally found the holy grail of bariatric surgery? A review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has become one of the most commonly performed bariatric operations. It is essentially a restrictive bariatric operation; however, a series of hormonal changes occurring postoperatively contribute to decreased appetite and reduced food intake. PATIENTS AND METHODS This is a literature review of recent articles published on Pubmed, Medline and Google Scholar databases in English. RESULTS Although, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is commonly performed worldwide, there is still a lack of standardization regarding the surgical technique. Standardizing the surgical technique is essential in order to minimize postoperative complications and offer patients the best long-term weight loss. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy appears to be an effective bariatric operation. It is relatively easy to perform, well tolerated by the patients and very effective regarding long-term excessive weight loss and resolution of the comorbidities, with minimum nutritional deficiencies.