Hopefull63

Hi Julie, yes I believe the Overstitch is fairly new, although not to sure how new it is. It was new to me and my surgeon is quite experienced and up to date with new developments and I think he'd done about 5 previously and only in recent weeks.
They go in endoscopically and put some permanent sutures in the stoma, then if needed also in the pouch to reduce the size of that as well.
I don't think they could do it to a patient with a band in because you don't have a pouch or stoma. And it wouldn't be a stand alone procedure as it's designed to be a remedy for gastric bypass patients experiencing weight gain due to enlarged stomas / pouches. Although I believe they can do something similar to a gastric sleeve endoscopically which I think is gastric plication. (If I am not 100% correct anyone please feel free to correct me) :-)
Now as for the cost, my surgeon didn't charge me for this Overstich or the Gastric bypass. I've been quite lucky. I paid the full price for the band 13 years ago, which I had done in the South off France. Then 10 years later after I had moved to Australia from England, I had the band removed and the sleeve done in the same operation. My private health care insurance covered most of it, I think I had to pay $3000 extra towards it. Then as my sleeve failed, the same surgeon did the bypass for 'free' just charging my healthcare fund with no co-payment, and the same for my Overestich. No co-payment. He accepted just the payment from my health care fund here in Australia. All I had to pay for was a payment towards the anaesthetist fees which in total were $800 and Medicare paid $300 so all I paid all up was $500 which I was very pleased about. :-)
Now to answer your last question about pain, I experienced next to no pain at all. I had a slight scrape on my lips from the scope, like I've had bigger pimples really. And a very mild sore throat when I woke up. The kind of sore throat you had after slight cough for a few days. Gone all together within 24 hours. Hardly worth mentioning. I was prescribed antiemetics and some strong pain relief, however, didn't fill the script as my nausea and pain were zero, seriously nothing at all painwise post op. I should add though that I was the same after gastric sleeve and bypass. No pain, no wind, no pain relief needed, I was up doing laps of the ward same day as both operations and declined all pain relief. I've either been very lucky or have a high pain threshold or a mixture of the two! Never even had reflux or anything. Oh and time in theatre was 1hr 20mins, think that it normally takes around 45 minutes, but I had sutures to both the stoma and pouch, and there was an Overstitch rep or something in the theatre watching the procedure and asking questions / having things explained I think, so that may have added time, not that it bothered me, I wouldn't have known if the operation took 10 minutes or 10 hours, i just closed my eyes and then woke up, felt like milliseconds haha, I went home after about 2 hours with a recommendation to follow a liquid diet for 1 week then soft / puréed for the second week, then a normal diet after that with lots of chewing and not to push the amount of food eaten.
Now I am at the stage of puréed food and cottage cheese, I am eating around 100mls and feel as full as an egg. Have lost over 10kg and am only 4kg away from my target and about 1kg away from being in the healthy weight / BMI range, but I did start the Saxenda injections one week before the Overstitch and they are definitely helping, I felt the appetite suppressing effects of the Saxenda even just on the initial starting dose of 0.6ml, am now up to 2.4ml and will be on the maximum dose of 3ml starting this Friday. Apparently a fair few people stop taking the Saxenda because of the most common side effects which are abdominal pain, headaches and nausea, which I haven't experienced any of at all, must be my high pain threshold again! :-)
The thing with the Overstitch is that I guess it can stretch again over time if it's not looked after. I'd imagine it wouldn't be able to stretch as much as without the stitches as they'd continue to provide some resistance, although I'm not sure if there have been any long term studies on this yet, again happy to be corrected if anyone knows anymore about this.
Not sure what could be done after stretching the Overstitch, maybe another Overstitch or change to a Duodenal Switch. In wouldn't be too keen on the DS as I'm already severely anaemic, even though I'm not feeling any ill effects. My doctor said my Iron levels and ferritin are in the low single digits and I shouldn't be feeling at the very least tired and exhausted but I'm not for some reason. Anyway, I'm hoping I won't need any more revisions. I have enough already!! So here goes, fingers crossed for me.
Anymore questions, just ask, more than happy to share my journey / experiences.
John :-)

Is the overstitch the newest endoscopic stomach stitching? Following. Seems to be the latest darling of wls. I have my dinosaur of a lapband so I am always checking on what is new and statistics. Very few out yet as it is so new. Any info. Cost. Time. Pain. Besides what you have divulged would be so appreciated.
Thanks and good luck[emoji171]

Thank-you Pinky72 and Jellibean88!
So I had my Overstitch, was in theatre for one hour and 20 mins. Woke up with a very slightly bruised lip and a minor sore throat from the scope and zero pain at all. Was prescribed some anti sickness tabs and painkillers but never filled the script because I had no issues at all. Was hard to believe I'd even had anything done, I felt so well.
Have been put on a liquid diet for 2 weeks, so just over one week into it. Had the Overstitch on the 21st of July.
First couple of days it was a struggle to get Water down, but slowly, slowly, sip by sip I got around 800mls down each day, although I didn't really measure, I'm not one for weights and measures to be honest, I just guesstimate, if I feel thirsty I drink more anyway, on day 3 I tried a Protein Shake, that was hard going, managed to drink one, maybe 500ml size over the course of a day. Days four and 5 restriction eased up a bit so was able to comfortably have a Meal Replacement Soup, a shake, cup of tea and a litre of water throughout the day with no real issues.
I started the Saxenda a week before the Overstitch so it's a bit hard to tell if the appetite suppressant I am experiencing is due to the Overstitch or the Saxenda or a mixture of both.
Anyway since the Saxenda and Overstitch I have lost 10kg, which is about 22lb. A couple more KG and I'll be in the 'normal' weight range for the first time ever in my life!!
So happy with everything right now! I am determined to stick to the rules this time, no fizzy drinks, no eating and drinking, Protein first etc. After 4 weight loss procedures over 13 years this is the last chance saloon for me.
Happy that my perseverance has got me down 136kg obese class 3 to almost normal. Anyway, just thought I'd share my story so far for those interested :-)
Thanks,

John.

You should receive no judgement from a support page. You do what you need to do to be a happy healthier you. I have only had 1 sleeve surgery but I have had 3 gastrointestinal surgeries for kinks in my sleeve and want plastic surgery but can't afford it yet. Good luck on your surgery sweety.

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Hi, yes I do go for protein first then veggies but what a great idea, fill up on protein then save the veggies for a snack 2 hours later. I will give that a try, thanks [emoji106][emoji4]

I'm having the Overstitch tomorrow so will be nil by mouth from midnight tonight then on liquids for a week. So I'll see how I go.

Hope everything goes well. I'm here for you. I had a RNY on 5/17/17. That's my only wls. However, I know alot of ppl who had or need revisions. Two whom I'm very close to. I share my wt loss info from my f/u appts. Also, we go to h2o aerobics and the gym.We go @our own pace I don't mind sharing and welcome you and anyone else to join me for aerobics, walks, trips to gym or just an ear to listen.
Most important- Don't give up!

I had one surgeon in the South of France then the same surgeon for the sleeve, bypass and for the overstitch planned for Friday.
For the plastic surgery I had the one plastics surgeon also here in Australia.
Why do you ask?
I researched the surgeons extensively and chose only those with a significant history of performing the procedures, who were highly experienced and had excellent reviews / feedback.
I 'also' interviewed several to make sure I had a good feeling about them, I'm a nurse and didn't want a**hole surgeons touching me lol.
Also all procedures were done privately so had to make sure my hard earned money was being well spent :-)

No judgment from me! I have just had my 4th WLS as well! I was banded in 2004, had slippage and issues and it was removed in 2005....lost about 30 pounds. Decided to try again with the band about 2 years later. I seemed to have the same issues as you: too tight or if full of liquids my eating was somewhat restricted but could certainly get down junk food! Lost weight, gained weight...up and down over the years....In 2012 did a revision to the sleeve....Lost 30 pounds and that was ALL I ever lost..Even though I could eat very little.....(I have had to self-pay for all of my surgeries)....On May 30, 2017 I did a revision from the Sleeve to Bypass......Have lost only 20 lbs so far....my eating is somewhat restricted but I do have any "dumping issues" so sweets are not a problem even though I have restricted them. I ate a cookie to see how my body would react.....No issues here. So I have to be extremely disciplined with my eating, otherwise I will not lose weight. I eat about 900 calories a day and am exercising 5-6 days a week. I do have a food restriction on how much I can eat at a time and have eaten too much already and it came back up! But I thought my stomach was going to be the size of a walnut after this surgery but I can certainly eat more food than the size of a walnut! Will see how my weight loss journey goes over the next 12 months!!

Well I never though I'd say this.........but I'm actually going in for my 4th WLS surgery / procedure this week [emoji15], I'm 3 days away from it on the 21st of July 2017 [emoji106][emoji4]
My weight loss journey so far....back in 2004 I weighed 136kg / 300 pounds and am 182cm / 6ft. My GP in the UK wouldn't approve SAGB on the NHS so I self funded the operation at a hospital in the South of France. Operation went well, weight loss was good, got down to 90kg / 198 pounds.
However, gradually I had more and more complications with the band, slippage and erosion. Weight went up to 116kg / 255 pounds. No matter how much fluids were put in or removed from my band, my restriction was either that tight I couldn't get Water down or too loose so I could eat whatever I liked. I also developed reflux and experienced frequent vomiting.
I had a revision from band to sleeve in the same operation in Australia 3 years ago (2014) got down to 84kg / 144 pounds with the sleeve. My sleeve stretched over a couple of years, partly due to the poor shape of the sleeve due to the damage done by the band (after my operation my surgeon said to me that my stomach was in such bad condition it looked looked "like a dogs Breakfast in there!!") and if I'm honest partly due to me falling off the wagon, eating too much junk food and drinking a serious amount of alcohol, so my weight crept back up to 103kg / 227 pound.
So anyway I finally stumped up the courage to go for the full gastric bypass 1 year ago at a weight of 103kg / 227 pound. Weight loss was great, felt full quickly, no major dumping, no complications / side effects. Got down to 80kg / 176 pound then recently crept back up to 93kg / 205 pound, so now I'm having the Overstitch this week, which I hope will be my final weight loss operation ever this Friday! In hindsight I wish I'd never had the band and sleeve and gone straight for the bypass all those years ago, but still grateful for the overall weight loss to date.
I must have been quite lucky with the operations, I had no infections, significant pain or gas pain, I was waking around the ward on day of the bypass, got 1.5ltr of fluids down me same day and after the TT I was doing laps of the ward on day 2! Only real issue is I've become severely anaemic this week. I'm on Iron tablets and Vit B12 injects.
Now when I was in the mid-80kgs I had a fair bit of excess skin and I think the weight loss and the natural getting older process had made me look older than my years, so I went in for some plastic surgery to get my self sorted out. I had upper and lower blepharoplasty (reduction of loose skin above and below my eyes, liposuction to my neck, 2 separate neck lifts (first one unsatisfactory), liposuction to remaining man boobs, stomach, hips and back. Full abdominoplasty with new belly button. Oh and a complimentary mid-face lift whilst the surgeon was in doing my lower eyes, I actually didn't ask for the mid face lift but my surgeon couldn't resist doing it once he had perfect access to the areas / structures required to hitch up the face a little. I woke up to the unexpected news about the face lift and was thrilled with the results and even happier that is was for free!! I also had a fat transfer, where they sucked some fat out of my abdominal area and had it pumped in the jowls / cheeks / nasolabial folds to fill out my face a little!!! Now I just have a little Botox and some dermal fillers as maintenance to the face. Also had a vampire facelift lol.
And OMG for those of you who have had full tummy tucks, as in skin and muscles, jeez how painful is the recovery from that bad boy!! Worst of all the WLS surgeries I've had and the other cosmetic procedure. You can't sit up, you can't laugh, sneeze, burp, fart, go for number 2's, well that was my experience with the TT recovery although I recovered very well form all of the procedures with no issues at all, thank-fully [emoji106]
The Tummy Tuck for me is what makes me want to stay at around 80kg, any heavier and I feel the skin on my belly stretching because of the tightened skin. I gets quite uncomfortable so I have to get it oI don't want to ruin the effects of the surgery.
All in all the procedure took 3 seperate operations they were 11 hours, 5 hours and 9 hours in duration. After the 11 hour operation I ended up in ICU on a cardiac monitor with a special one to one nurse as I was at risk of an adverse cardiac even due to excessive Fluid loss. The three cosmetic operations cost me over $70k.
Anyway, that's my story in its entirety, I thought I'd share this information with you as I have had so much done and gone through so many procedures, so please feel free to comment and ask me any questions. Thanks John [emoji4][emoji106]
PS: No judgement please lol