I wonder why they don't cut out the gland, while they are on?
It's not a gland, it's a hormone.
When the sleeve op is performed 80% of the stomach is removed.... the part of the stomach that is removed is the part which produces the most ghrelin.
However, ghrelin is not quite the "magic" be all one and only hormone involved in hunger and appetite .... there are quite a few involved including leptin and others.
They can't "cut it out" in an RNY op because that they need to leave the remainder of the stomach inside the body in an RNY bypass -- the RNY pouch is so small and the re-routing of the intestines so major, that they *have* to leave the remainder of the stomach in the body to continue secreting gastric juices which aid digestion (and re-join the lower intestine lower down).