MEDIA ADVISORY

What: Alex Gandsas, M.D., Division Head, Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, will perform a sleeve gastrectomy, which will be twittered live. The patient is a 49 year old male with a history of hypertension and sleep apnea. The patient's body mass index is 57, and he currently weighs 362 lbs. His ideal weight is 159 lbs.

When: Monday, August 17 at 9:30 a.m.

Where: Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, 2401 W. Belvedere Avenue, Baltimore, MD Follow live by linking to: www.twitter.com/lbhealth

Additional info: The gastric sleeve is a relatively new approach in bariatric surgery. It involves the removal of up to 85 percent of the stomach, resulting in a small "tube" or "sleeve" to accommodate food, which creates a feeling of fullness with a small meal. Unlike the gastric bypass, the gastric sleeve operation does not involve any "re-routing" of the small bowel, and no implantation of a plastic device is necessary (as in the Lap- Band device).

Patients can achieve an average weight loss up to 60 percent of their excess weight within one year. The gastric sleeve is a faster, technically less complex operation than gastric bypass. Unlike the gastric bypass, gastric sleeve does not involve the division of the small bowel with re-communication to the stomach pouch. This is a safer operation, especially for patients suffering from severe heart ailments. The sleeve does not need adjustments, and does not require placement of a foreign body as seen with the Lap-Band.