New! Please help with basic questions

[BrokeMyHalo 107]

Hi!

I have the Lap Band (since July 2005) and just found out about Total Vertical Sleeve Plication. I would like to know what this is exactly? How much does it cost? How does it compare to the band? Anyone do the switch to this from the band? Do you get stuck on foods?

I lost about 30pounds with my band, and gained it back

I have had several adjustments but I cant get this weight off without being stuck all the time on food. Emotionally, it was has been draining, to say the least! I was looking at other surgery options but they made me nervous, this sounds like a better idea since it is reversible.

Thank you!

[genepha 47]

Hi,

I'm on my phone so I can't go into great detail but I also have a band and I will be revising to a sleeve plication. My esophagus is dilated and if I have even the tiniest fill I have horrible acid reflux.

I researched plication thru YouTube as there are several helpful videos. You can also visit Dr. Ariel Ortiz or Dr. Lopez-Corvala's websites for more helpful information. Dr Cottam and Watkins are in the US and I believe charge around 8-10K for the procedure. Tijuana is about 10K with plication and band removal. If you have insurance they may pay for band removal and then you just pay for the plication.

Hope that helps!

Good luck to you!!!

[Cknorte 7]

Do a search fro Dr. Watkins on this board. He's done a fabulous job about posting and explaining the surgery.....

You can go read my blog, I've described my experience.

I had surgery with Dr. Corvala in July, and am happy as a clam....

[KarenKaren 0]

I'm about to have plication surgery, along with band removal. I'll let you know when I know more, good luck with your research!

[DrWatkins 13]

Hi!

I have the Lap Band (since July 2005) and just found out about Total Vertical Sleeve Plication. I would like to know what this is exactly? How much does it cost? How does it compare to the band? Anyone do the switch to this from the band? Do you get stuck on foods?

I lost about 30pounds with my band, and gained it back

I have had several adjustments but I cant get this weight off without being stuck all the time on food. Emotionally, it was has been draining, to say the least! I was looking at other surgery options but they made me nervous, this sounds like a better idea since it is reversible.

Thank you!

I have had four band patients convert to the plication and they tell me that the stomach fullness is better than the high sensation of fullness with the band. They also like not having a port, not needing port adjustments and they don't have the potential problem of having it get too tight and requiring emergent unfills. From a 3-dimensional perspective, the band is like a golf ball with a small hole in the bottom - the plication is like a banana. My plication patients have fewer food intolerances than my band patients. It is still better to not drink with meals like the band - this helps you stay full and less hungry. My experience with plication is that it is like all other weight loss operations in the sense that if you make good food choices and burn calories, the success is outstanding. Like other weight loss operations, plication is easily defeated by eating high-calorie "junk" foods or ice cream, etc.

The basics of plication - we call it GPS for Gastric Plication Surgery - is that you reduce the volume of the stomach into a small tube or sleeve by imbricating the stomach in on itself like you might if you wanted to make a pair of pants smaller by imbricating the fabric - folding it in on itself- and then stitching the outer layer to itself. For GPS this is done in two layers to create a small sleeve which has been shown to be a powerful weight loss tool. The GI studies (drink barium and take x-rays) post-op look just like a sleeve gastrectomy which is very pleasing to me. GPS patients also describe the same eating and fullness and weight loss as sleeve gastrectomy but you don't have any staples and you don't have removal of the stomach (gastrectomy). I like the plication a lot. It is wonderfully simple. I am seeing the interest in this operation increase every month and I'm now getting more calls from surgeons wanting to learn how to do the procedure. I think it will be a very big deal. We will publish our results which will help insurance coverage down the road.

Brad Watkins MD