Do you know your bougie size?

[justmetj 421]

One thing I wish I would have asked my Dr. before my surgery is what bougie size he was using for my sleeve. My restriction seems really good but it would be nice to know what size he used and I will be bringing it up at my next visit. Do you guys know yours?

[Bari_KS 499]

That was question number one i asked my surgeon during our first meeting

[Bari_KS 499]

My bougie was 40F which is 1/2 inch.

[justmetj 421]

8 minutes ago, Bari_KS said:

That was question number one i asked my surgeon during our first meeting

I guess I should've talked to you sooner LOL! Thanks!

[RickM 1,752]

I don't know, and really don't care (he may not have even used one, for that matter) - it's the end results that matter more than what specific tool the doc uses. When I first go into this, there was a group on another forum that insisted (according to their doc) that if you didn't have a tightly oversewn 32F sleeve, that you would never lose enough weight, you would live a life of misery, and no one would ever love you. Yet you couldn't really tell by the results who had a 32, or a 36 or a 40 as there are so many variables involved, and bougie size is just one (and a pretty minor one at that.) How tightly does he follow it? How many cuts is he making in following the minor curvature to make that banana shape? My wife has an absolutely huge sleeve - probably a 56-60Fr (typical for a DS sleeve) - yet after all these years, her meal size is about the same as mine, sometimes a little more, sometimes less.

It can be an interesting philosophical discussion to understand the tools, procedures and techniques the doc uses, but ultimately, it comes down to what we put into it as much as what the doc puts into it.

[NancyLF 234]

12 minutes ago, RickM said:

I don't know, and really don't care...

Neither do I. Maybe I'd want to know as a possible lottery number to play! LOL!

[gabybab 696]

No, but I have my 6 month post-op in 1.5 months and I'm going to ask my PA. I love her so much and is even better than my Dr. I will let you know. Tonight I ate 3 chicken wings and half a slice of pizza and I feel like I'm dying a hour and a half later. I'm so full, so my restriction seems very tight.

[justmetj 421]

15 minutes ago, RickM said:

I don't know, and really don't care (he may not have even used one, for that matter) - it's the end results that matter more than what specific tool the doc uses. When I first go into this, there was a group on another forum that insisted (according to their doc) that if you didn't have a tightly oversewn 32F sleeve, that you would never lose enough weight, you would live a life of misery, and no one would ever love you. Yet you couldn't really tell by the results who had a 32, or a 36 or a 40 as there are so many variables involved, and bougie size is just one (and a pretty minor one at that.) How tightly does he follow it? How many cuts is he making in following the minor curvature to make that banana shape? My wife has an absolutely huge sleeve - probably a 56-60Fr (typical for a DS sleeve) - yet after all these years, her meal size is about the same as mine, sometimes a little more, sometimes less.

It can be an interesting philosophical discussion to understand the tools, procedures and techniques the doc uses, but ultimately, it comes down to what we put into it as much as what the doc puts into it.

It was just interesting in my reading on the subject that that was the case in some studies. The size isn't always the be all end all and sometimes smaller comes with more strictures and other complications. I'm just curious I guess. I asked a ton of questions and always meant to ask but it was one that always slipped my mind.

[gabybab 696]

1 hour ago, Bari_KS said:

My bougie was 40F which is 1/2 inch.

Does that mean the stomach is only a half inch wide? Just curious.

[justmetj 421]

6 minutes ago, gabybab said:

No, but I have my 6 month post-op in 1.5 months and I'm going to ask my PA. I love her so much and is even better than my Dr. I will let you know. Tonight I ate 3 chicken wings and half a slice of pizza and I feel like I'm dying a hour and a half later. I'm so full, so my restriction seems very tight.

I'll get back to you too on mine. My next follow up is on the 29th.

[Tracyringo 503]

2 hours ago, justmetj said:

One thing I wish I would have asked my Dr. before my surgery is what bougie size he was using for my sleeve. My restriction seems really good but it would be nice to know what size he used and I will be bringing it up at my next visit. Do you guys know yours?

My surgeon used a 34

[Bari_KS 499]

Does that mean the stomach is only a half inch wide? Just curious.

Standard bougie sizes in the United States range from 32-50F. The bougie size is not the same as stomach size, although it does influence the size of the sleeve.

Generally, the smaller the bougie, the smaller the new stomach size, but the same size bougie does not always create the same size stomach. The finished sleeve size is determined by how close the stapler gets to the guide and whether the surgeon oversews the staple line and if so, by how much.

While the gastric sleeve is now widely accepted as a primary bariatric procedure, there is not yet unanimous agreement on an ideal bougie size. The decision is trying to find the size that will provide the safest results with the most amount of weight loss.

With a smaller bougie size, the smaller the sleeve and greater the restriction, but greater the risk of leak and stricture rate.

[Bari_KS 499]

If a larger bougie size is used, the sleeve will be larger and the operation safer, but the concern is that it may not produce enough weight loss.

[Tracyringo 503]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKBfkTqcwVo&feature=youtu.be

This is really good info about the bougie size

Edited July 12, 2019 by Tracyringo

[Foxbins 625]

Mine was a 36 French, but depending on how closely the surgeon staples to the bougie, the size might not be exact.