What my doctor said. Ur sleeve stretches after three years

[koddie 44]

I know doctors say different things. However this doctor I saw last week was talking and in the conversation he mentioned most clients regain some weight back around three years n after cus the sleeve stretches.

I know other doctors who say different.

What did ur doctor tell u?

What r ur thoughts?

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[FrankyG 1,450]

The sleeve doesn't stretch. They remove the elastic part of the stomach, so it won't ever go back to the size you had pre-surgery. But after about 1 year, your stomach has completely healed up and relaxed, so you will be able to eat a bit more food than you could in the first 6 months. That is definitely to be expected.

The main thing you're supposed to be doing with the sleeve is using the honeymoon period (12-18 months after surgery) to relearn how to eat and get used to the smaller portions. If you change up your eating habits for a long enough time by eating healthy, small portions of Protein first, then veggies, then small amount of complex carbs and only eat junk/fast/sugar/simple carb stuff occasionally - then you have given yourself the time and ability to sustain the weight loss for the rest of your life.

My doc said that anyone having the sleeve surgery will lose weight even eating absolute crap for the first year or so. After that time period, they'll slowly start gaining it all back and then blame the sleeve for "stretching out" or not working for them.

Many doctors use a combo of scare tactics or false information to try to get through to some of their patients they think are not capable of understanding how to change their eating habits. Like outright lying about things like "eat too much and you'll stretch your sleeve" or "drink carbonated beverages and you could cause a leak and die" type of things.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I was told the sleeve doesn't stretch and I have yet to see any real scientific evidence of it. It does "relax" some as you become fully healed around 12 months. At 19 months out, I can't eat any more now than I could eat at 9 or 12 months post-op. My restriction is still very strong. What does happen the further out you are from surgery is real life. You become less focused on your surgery and eating right and meeting Protein goals, and more focused on other things going on in your life. At that point, it's easy to nibble on more carbs and convenience foods. It's easy to maybe start drinking 10-15 minutes after eating instead of waiting the full 20-40 minutes. It's easy to get out of your exercise routine or at least became a little more lax about regular exercise. All of those things can add up to some weight regain unless you keep things in check.

[animallover1247 249]

Dr. Matthew Weiner - Bariatric surgeon in Michigan has many videos on youtube about weight loss surgery. There is actually one on the stretching of the sleeve if you want to check it out but it pretty much says what Frankiesgirl and JamieLogical have just posted.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

What @@FrankiesGirl said.

Yes, some people regain some weight 2-3-4 years down the road. But it ain't because their sleeve has stretched.

[koddie 44]

Best answers I have had and I searched dr Google for days! Xoxoxoxo thanks everyone. Very educational info

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[katanne 215]

Joining the chorus of people saying the sleeve doesn't stretch - I've taken anatomy and physiology for nursing school, and can vouch for the fact that the tissue left behind after a sleeve is created is not elastic.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

My OPINION:

I think it can stretch some. After the surgery you are not swollen for 12 months. Most healing and inflammation are complete around 6 weeks, and any residual swelling is probably gone by about 3 months. Some use the word "relax" which equates to stretching. Stomachs are soft tissue, not concrete. The part that's left behind is not fibrous tissue or cartilage - it just makes no sense to me that people think there's no give to it.

Having said that, I do not think it would ever go back to the size of your pre-op stomach. I know from personal experience that I could eat 2 oz immediately post op, 4 oz at a year, and that capacity gradually changed over time. At three and half years out, my capacity is around 8-10 oz. That's really not a lot of food, and my sleeve has helped me maintain a 90%+ weight loss for almost 3 years. But somehow my capacity increased by 60-80% from the early days, and 50-60% from where I was at about 18 months. The only explanation I have for that is that it stretched some. I'm not alone - most people report varying degrees of increased capacity. One other thing - I do not and have not "overeaten" repeatedly to get it to this point. I am not a sleeve abuser

[CowgirlJane 14,260]

It doesn't matter to me WHY but I know that after time, the restriction is less, h however it is very much influenced by how you eat and drink. B I do plan to discuss with my bariatric practice this year because I am curious.

Statistically people do regain. I am 4 years out and a few pounds under goal. I weigh 15# more than my lowest weight. Back in 2014 when I got under goal so far I was quite aware it wasn't likely sustainable as it was not a comfortable weight for me.

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