Sleeve Gastrectomy Explained: Video by Prof. Zhang Zhongtao
Prof. Zhang Zhongtao explains laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy step by step in about 90 seconds: ports, mobilisation, calibration tube and stapling.
How is a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy actually done? In this short video, Prof. Zhang Zhongtao of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, walks through the operation in about 90 seconds, from creating the working space to the final shape of the stomach. We share the English version here as a teaching aid for surgical teams, students and anyone who wants a clear, plain-language overview of the procedure.
What the video shows
The operation starts with a Veress needle placed above the navel to create a pneumoperitoneum, which gives the surgeon working space inside the abdomen. Two or three small ports are then placed for the instruments.
Next, the fat along the greater curvature of the stomach is mobilised. A thick gastric calibration tube (bougie) is then passed into the stomach as a guide. Prof. Zhang compares it to an arm inside a sleeve: the stomach is divided along the tube, so the tube sets the width of the sleeve that remains.
About 80% of the stomach is removed along the tube, leaving a narrow, banana-shaped sleeve. Food still passes the normal way, through the cardia and out through the pylorus; the intestine is not rerouted. As the video explains, the main mechanism is a smaller stomach volume and less food intake, with some effect on gut hormones.
Why the calibration step matters
The calibration tube is one of the few steps in the operation that directly determines the final size of the sleeve. Bougie size and how the staple line is tested are both debated in the literature. For a summary of that evidence, see our articles on bougie size in sleeve gastrectomy and on the intraoperative leak test.
Credit
Original video by Prof. Zhang Zhongtao, Vice President, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. Shared with permission. English version by Shenyun Medical.
The same English version is also available as a YouTube Short: youtube.com
Sources: - Original video (YouTube Short, English version)
This article is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Whether sleeve gastrectomy is suitable, and how it is performed, is decided by the treating surgical team with the patient.