A gastric sleeve is not a literal sleeve.
In this irreversible surgical procedure, 80-90% of the stomach is removed with the remainder resembling a sleeve or tube.
The surgery is a minimally invasive procedure carried out either laparoscopically or robotically under general anaesthetic.
The remaining portion of stomach can only hold approximately 200 ml of food or liquid in comparison to 1500 ml before surgery.
As a gastric sleeve is an irreversible procedure, patients will only be able to eat small meals for the rest of their life contributing to fast and long-term weight loss.