NotSoLittleMermaid

Welcome Julie! Yes this website is wonderful! I am excited for you and your journey! I am also looking at Plication and most closely at Dr. Corvala and Dr.Watkins. Keep the posts coming and congrats on the weightloss! How long did you stay in the hospital?

Ok, let me ask.. Does anyone with Gastric Sleeve Plication experience this?

Hi I am researching WLS and am seriously looking at it with the goal that once everything is healed up with VSG or Vertical Plication, you can be somewhat normal. My hope is that quantity of food limited, but that as long as you chew well and don't stuff yourself, you'll be fine. I thought sliming only came from lapbands. I also thought that one could eat bread (or anything else) when healed up with the Sleeve. Please let me know you thoughts and experiences. It is possible to just eat small amounts (maybe drink too w/food once you've lost the weight?) without all this gross sliming?

Thanks so much for the reply about single incision, and I am glad to know that some of you can't even see your scars. That is encouraging.

who is your dr ?

Mine is Amy@REOGulfCoast.com

Hi Dr. Watkins, do you email or how can I email you privately? You are a wealth of info. Would like to find out more about your surgery options

Hi Everyone, I am curious to find out if many can wear a bikini eventually without tell tale signs of surgery and incisions. I have only seen 1 YouTube video and the girl did have scarring. 1) How long did it last? 2) On pale skinned people, is it permanent? 3) Anything else I should know? That probably seems like it should be the least of my worries, but I feel like I am sort of in between surgery and no surgery. Since I've started reading this forum, I have really cut back my portions and actually started to see the scale slowly reverse! (Ok like a few pounds - but for me, I have been steadily gaining every week for the last year.) In first week or so I was ravenously hungry and couldn't wait to have the surgery. I have had to go about 3-4 times a day when I am empty and hungry but it has lessened. (BMI 32 about 60lbs to lose.) Obesity runs in my family and my little sisters who really diet and workout hard daily are still chunky. I probably will end up having it because I feel this weight loss is temporary and I am 34 and the struggle will only get worse. All I want is to feel fuller longer, and be able to eat healthy & small portions of food I really like. Verses all low carb or no bread ever, etc. So far, I've cut back portions and still eat most of what I like. Yes, there are times when I am hungry. Usually, when I think about food or whether or not I am hungry, I physically GET hungry. So that is why I feel my recent success is only temporary. (In the middle of this long paragraph I weighed myself and realized a gained a pound since yesterday, despite drinking lot of Water..: ) typical. So I probably will lean towards surgery. 1 pound gained in a day from having salad, tacos and a tiny peice of cake & small margarta!) I feel like I should move toward a decision within the next few days/weeks because the surgery I want is Plication cheaper for the next month. I am self pay. I also think if I am going to do it, get it over with, so I can get through post op and have a better quality of life ASAP. At the same time, I am very scared and have never had surgery before. I am worried I will get it and have regrets. Anyone been there? Thank you for all of your posts.

I am curious to find out if many can wear a bikini eventually without tell tale signs of surgery and incisions. I have only seen 1 YouTube video and the girl did have scarring. 1) How long did it last? 2) On pale skinned people, is it permanent? 3) Anything else I should know? That probably seems like it should be the least of my worries, but I feel like I am sort of in between surgery and no surgery. Since I've started reading this forum, I have really cut back my portions and actually started to see the scale slowly reverse! (Ok like a few pounds - but for me, I have been steadily gaining every week for the last year.) In first week or so I was ravenously hungry and couldn't wait to have the surgery. I have had to go about 3-4 times a day when I am empty and hungry but it has lessened. (BMI 32 about 60lbs to lose.) Obesity runs in my family and my little sisters who really diet and workout hard daily are still chunky. I probably will end up having it because I feel this weight loss is temporary and I am 34 and the struggle will only get worse. All I want is to feel fuller longer, and be able to eat healthy & small portions of food I really like. Verses all low carb or no bread ever, etc. So far, I've cut back portions and still eat most of what I like. Yes, there are times when I am hungry. Usually, when I think about food or whether or not I am hungry, I physically GET hungry. So that is why I feel my recent success is only temporary. (In the middle of this long paragraph I weighed myself and realized a gained a pound since yesterday, despite drinking lot of water.. so probably will lean towards surgery.) I feel like I should move toward a decision within the next few days/weeks because the surgery I want is Plication, new and is $4000 cheaper for the next month. I am self pay, so saving $4000 would really help. I also think if I am going to do it, get it over with, so I can get through post op and have a better quality of life ASAP. At the same time, I am very scared and have never had surgery before. I am worried I will get it and have regrets. Anyone been there?

Thank you so much, Dr. Watkins!

Questions for GS Plication post ops.. 1) Can you drink, let's say, a full cup of coffee within 15 min? Or maybe a glass of Water? I know stomach is smaller, limiting solid food, but I was wondering if liquids are limited. Or does it depend on how far out you are from your surgery post op? 2) Do you feel the food/drink hitting the plete or folded in part of the stomach? 3) After being healed up from surgery and returning to solid food, will the stomach stretch out a little bit like a regular sleeve? Thanks!

That is awsome!

Cknorte congratulations! That is awesome! We are so proud of you!:thumbup1:

I live by the coast, so pretty much anyone I goto at this point, I will be traveling. (Which I am sure that is the case with most of you.) How have your offices/Drs and/or their assistants been with answering follow questions? Or are many of you going to your local doctors?

Thank you both.

Hi Becca, did they put something down your throat so they could size your stomach right? Or what was the tube for? Also I am making a list of questions to ask the Drs, so if there is a thread or advise section that I am missing would love to know.

Thank you so much.. I will be looking at your doctor again :thumbup: (Passing nausa fades away.. thanks for your kindess and quick reply..)

I meant, it SOUNDs painful.

Sorry to whine like a baby, but I've never even broken a bone, so I've never been in the hospital myself. It sounds like surgery requires a cathiter? <FreakingOut> Thats so SO painful. Do they put that in after your asleep?

Hi, I am researching to find my surgeon for Gastric Plication. Any info that you can tell me about Dr. Cottam would be great! Does any one know how many of these he has done? I would be coming from the FL panhandle area.

Thank you ALL of you for answering my questions. I will be private pay (I guess like everyone who gets Plication). Do any of you know how many Plications Dr.Watkins has done and what package he charges? It looks like Dr. Corvala has done over 50. Those are the two Drs that I am considering the most right now. I have started reading your Fat Woman On A Mission Blog and I think it's great! Any and all of you, I would eat up any info you can your experiences with Hospitals/Drs. Whoever it was that had a bad vibe from one particular Dr, can you please PM me and tell me who and why? I have never had surgery before so I want to try to anlyze best I can. I live in the South, and there is a Dr. in FL that I think does it, but I want to go to someone with a few surgeries under their belt. Has anyone had shoulder pain from the gas they put in your stomach? Just curious. Also did most of you go see your regular Dr. for a physical first? I am think that might not hurt. I am loving the fact that you all seem to be staying full! I wouldn't be suprised if any one of you get a call from Oprah or one of the Doctor shows.. to me, this surgery is wonderful! For any newbies.. I think I found the IRAN orgination.. Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. - Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques - 17(6):793 Thread about Brazil Studies New procedure Gastric Sleeve Plication as a Revision for LAP-BAND? - LAP-BAND? Surgery and LAP-BAND? Discussion Forum

Hi Becka, thanks so much for your reply. Yes, thank God for this forum, I realized that I didn't want the type of surgery where food gets stuck and have foreign objects in my body. Was really looking at regular vertical sleeve, especially if with ghrelin reduction factor. It does seem like those who have had their VSG say they get less hungry. But it was really interesting to see what your doctor said and I can help but wonder about all the other hormones we don't know about. This might be of interest, in one video clip, it shows studies that ghrelin levels were LOW in BINGE eaters and OBESE! So go figure.. Ghrelin Study and Weight Loss - Watch WebMD Video At any rate, I was finding it hard to get the courage to do the VSG (like I should try one more time on my own to loose weight - but really, my family is all obese so I just want to have surgery so I can live my life now and have a better qualify of life.) But I am feeling like I am ready to go with plication! And that is why I wanted to talk to you.. You said so far you feel very full? I know it is so soon, but do you think you feel full longer then you did before surgery? Did your Dr. address when you can have carbonated drinks? Are you allowed to have, let's say, a completely flat diet coke? If not now, when? Do you feel fine digesting dairy or do you have any heartburn issues? Thanks so much!

Sorry for the double post. Although I love technology and read forums alot, this is my first time posting to one!

Hi I am new to VST and so thankful for ALL OF YOU! I feel like you've helped me avoid landmines (especially those who have had revision surges - thanks so much for sharing!!) I want to find out everything I can about Gastric Plication Surgery. 1) Where & when did it originate? 2) Approximately how many people have had this surgery worldwide/US? 3) Please tell me your experience if you had it.. 4) Any links to articles I can research? (Found a few, but hungry for more..) 5) Anything about PRE & POST OP diet I would love to know.. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am 34 with BMI of 32, got about 60lbs to lose. My parents are obese and I've been told another 20lbs=diabetes most likely for me. I have tried to eat way less and make my stomach smaller..it is helping, but I am realistic that it definitely isn't the same as surgery. This new procedure sounds perfect and like a decision made much easier! I've been considering WLS for about a month now.. How long does the average person take to think about it and then schedule?

Hi I am new to VST and so thankful for ALL OF YOU! I feel like you've helped me avoid landmines (especially those who have had revision surges - thanks so much for sharing!!) I want to find out everything I can about Gastric Plication Surgery. 1) Where & when did it originate? 2) Approximately how many people have had this surgery worldwide/US? 3) Please tell me your experience if you had it.. 4) Any links to articles I can research? (Found a few, but hungry for more..) 5) Anything about PRE & POST OP diet I would love to know.. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am 34 with BMI of 32, got about 60lbs to lose. My parents are obese and I've been told another 20lbs=diabetes most likely for me. I have tried to eat way less and make my stomach smaller..it is helping, but I am realistic that it definitely isn't the same as surgery. This new procedure sounds perfect and like a decision made much easier! I've been considering WLS for about a month now.. How long does the average person take to think about it and then schedule?