male only Help guys -- Band or Sleeve? I'm scheduled for band Feb.1

[Maddysgram 6,159]

Question??? What is plication?

That's when they fold your stomach within itself and stitch it in place and you end up having a banana shaped stomach.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Jean, thank you for your informative post!

You, more than anyone, can really speak about both surgeries since you've experienced both.

Just wondering, is it possible to get a LapBand put in AFTER someone has gastric sleeve surgery? To alleviate the food cravings and stuff? I know your situation may not permit it, but for someone else, maybe they can revise to the lapband?

I wonder if that's ever been done

I've heard of band-over-bypass revisions, but not band-over-sleeve. You'd have to ask your own surgeon about whether the band is a viable option for a sleeve patient. I think it may depend on the size of the person's sleeve. Sleeve surgery removes 75-80% of the stomach, leaving a very small banana-shape stomach.

The choice of sleeve size is up to the surgeon, based on the patient's unique anatomy and how much weight they need to lose. The stomach is sized using a bougie, which is a calibration tool shaped like a fat fountain pen. The surgeon passes the bougie through the esophagus and into the stomach, then staples the stomach along the edge of the bulge created by the bougie. After flushing the stomach with Fluid (I think saline) to make sure there are no leaks, the surgeon cuts off the excess stomach. My surgeon used a size 34fr bougie, which is 11.2 mm...only .44" in diameter. As the stomach heals from the surgery, swelling subsides, and time goes by, the stomach capacity may increase a bit, but still....it's less than 1/2 inch. It's hard for me to imagine how adding an adjustable gastric band could improve on that, but it's possible.

Edited to add: Part of the band's appetite suppression is provided by its pressure against the vagus nerve in the stomach fundus (the curved portion at the top). The sleeve basically removes the greater curvature of the stomach including the fundus, and I don't know offhand how that affects the vagus nerve and its function.

The more like revisional surgery for sleeve patients would be the duodenal switch, which is the most extreme WLS procedure done now. The sleeve started out as the first of a 2-step process for super morbidly obese patients whose health wasn't good enough for them to withstand both steps during one procedure. The switch part involves very drastic re-routing of the intestines, with extreme malabsorption that results in quick weight loss but is also associated with a lot of health problems. And it's no more a permanent cure for obesity than any other WLS procedure. I know a guy who lost something like 300 lbs with the duodenal switch and has regained almost 100 lbs. And he has some very serious medical issues related to his malabsorption. He's reluctant to have a revision to reduce the malabsorption, but since he's alreadty regained so much weight, he's afraid that a revision would send even more excess pounds his way.

Revising a sleeve patient to some version of gastric bypass is probably possible, with less malabsorption and (perhaps) slower or less weight loss.

[outlaw 2]

Jean, wow...thank you so much for that. Balanced view, and so informative -- has got me thinking. I've been back and forth so much on this...

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

my dr wanted me to do the bypass but i stayed true to myself...he advised me that no matter which WLS i chose, it was up to me to change not only what i ate, how much i eat, begin exercising but needed a total mental overhaul.. he stressed its not a quick fix and if i did not change, nothing would work....sure it may come off quicker with the bypass or sleeve etc, but if the eating habits, portions did not change, whatever was lost would creep up.

so get whatever works for you but help yourself by helping the process...follow the directions and change your life. that is exactly what i did.

jeans the best.

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

Jean, wow...thank you so much for that. Balanced view, and so informative -- has got me thinking. I've been back and forth so much on this...

You're very welcome!

[rosstheboss 21]

Hi we have similar stories. I am 3.5 years out with the band, have kept off 55 lbs. I was 65 lbs down but getting back on track. The good news have kept 55 lbs off for 3 years not. I was about 330 in HS. In collage went on a strict plant on got down to 225. but gradually came back on. So for most of my adult life have been around 300. I am just over 6ft tall. I was 300 when banded. Lowest I got to was 335, for a while I have been hovering in the mid 240's. Anyway the band can get you to a healthy weight if you work at it and I guess I am at a healthy weight so says my Dr. But I would like to be thinner. I also work out 3 x a week. My Dr office now does the band with a procedure to the stomach. It is kind of a band with a Sleeve type procedure, he inverts part of the stomach and that makes it smaller but they do not surgically remove the extra part. You may want to ask your dr. about it. My Dr office started doing this about a year ago, it was not being done when I had mine 3 years ago. Kind of wish he was doing that too back than. You do have to work hard. Slimming etc not a big deal and should not happen too often, if it does your doing something wrong. Ask about this band plus procedure.

[Terry Poperszky 2,784]

My Dr office now does the band with a procedure to the stomach. It is kind of a band with a Sleeve type procedure, he inverts part of the stomach and that makes it smaller but they do not surgically remove the extra part. You may want to ask your dr. about it.

The procedure it called "gastric plication" Google it for an explanation.

[dandaman4 7]

Too soon for me to know' date=' I was just banded on Monday. I chose the band because it was less invasive than the Sleeve or GB. All I can suggest is do all the research you can, and then act on that information. GB and Sleeve have a higher success rate initially, but there are quite a few people out there that have gained their weight back on all three methods. Regardless of the tool you use, it won't do it for you.[/quote']

Hey terry how's it going? I'm going to be banded sometime next month and was just wondering what the male perspective was?

[Baba Wawa 543]

Question??? What is plication?

It's an ill-conceived, dangerous surgery that is irreversible after 2-3 weeks, can cause gastric necrosis and can only be revised to a pouch. Not recommended by many.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

ms maui..dont mean to be rude but I have the plication and so far I have no issues. ....as far as the irreversible after 2 to 3 weeks, I called my dr and told him of your statement and he said there was no cutting only suturing so the stomach is intact...if a dr who placed it too high, it may cause oxygen to not get to the stomach but that is very rare.....I would be glad to give you my surgeons name/phn so you can get your facts straight....I recommend it to all and any who ask me......

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

It's an ill-conceived, dangerous surgery that is irreversible after 2-3 weeks, can cause gastric necrosis and can only be revised to a pouch. Not recommended by many.

MsMaui... I don't mind being rude. Your statement about plication is outright wrong an ill-informed. Please don't use scary words like necrosis to frighten people. If you don't approve of the band, try saying nothing. Making up **** is not useful.

[Baba Wawa 543]

ms maui..dont mean to be rude but I have the plication and so far I have no issues. ....as far as the irreversible after 2 to 3 weeks, I called my dr and told him of your statement and he said there was no cutting only suturing so the stomach is intact...if a dr who placed it too high, it may cause oxygen to not get to the stomach but that is very rare.....I would be glad to give you my surgeons name/phn so you can get your facts straight....I recommend it to all and any who ask me......

There are several people over on another forum who have considered this and their doctors told them it is irreversible after 3-4 weeks, since the tissue that is plicated grows together, scar tissue develops and that the patients they've seen with this procedure who want to be revised, are limited to RNY.

I'll post some links for you...bear in mind that I can only post LBT approved links, but here goes...

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/14816-gps-update-important-new-information/

[CHEZNOEL 4,061]

That post continues to say that this was based upon limited information and experience, in hospitals in Mexico, not the US.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

It's an ill-conceived, dangerous surgery that is irreversible after 2-3 weeks, can cause gastric necrosis and can only be revised to a pouch. Not recommended by many.

There are several people over on another forum who have considered this and their doctors told them it is irreversible after 3-4 weeks, since the tissue that is plicated grows together, scar tissue develops and that the patients they've seen with this procedure who want to be revised, are limited to RNY.

I'll post some links for you...bear in mind that I can only post LBT approved links, but here goes...

http://www.verticals...ew-information/

Linking to another forum isn't proof. Nor is one doctor's supposed story. (if that's even who that person is, it's the internet, anyone can pretend to be anything)

Yes, the plication is a newer procedure, however all WLS procedures were new at some point. In fact it wasn't too long ago people were howling how unsafe Gastric Bypass is and now it's widely accepted. Plication has far less risks and complications than the Sleeve or Gastric Bypass, too.

Saying that plication is "ill conceived and dangerous" is just more ignorant paranoia.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

again, no disrespect but i think your words of horror are quite uncalled for.

my dr gave me the pros and cons. i again say if you and your friends want my dr's name/number and you can call and discuss what plication actually is.

and any wls has pros and cons (as you well know and have stated the bad) plication a newer surgery and i signed forms waiving anything if it happens. apparently anyone getting any type surgery has to sign forms too. didnt you?

why? because i was advised of all aspects.i am an adult, i made my mind

up to have this surgery to aid the band.

why did i have this (dangerous thing ms msaui)...because i was over 336 pounds..i couldnt walk far and going potty was getting hard...i risked it and i am down 94 pounds in 7 months

this ill conceived and dangerous thing is saving my life