In reading about revision surgery for the Lap Band, I found a link to the results of a clinical study in the Bariatric Times, (reference this link: My Tiny URL - Create Tiny URL's Short URL Service) on gastric sleeve plicaiton.

Results of the report are based on post-operative outcomes for 66 patients (44 female) who had the gastric sleeve plication procedure between January '07 and Mach '10. Mean patient age was 34, with a mean BMI of 35. Follow-up visits for the assessment of safety and weight loss were scheduled for 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months in the postoperative period.

The study describes gastric sleeve plication (also referred to as gastric imbricaiton or laparoscopic greater curvature plication) as a restrictive technique that eliminates the complications associated with adjustable gastric banding and vertical sleeve gastrectomy -- it does this by creating restriction without the use of implants and without gastric resection (cutting) and staples.

The authors of the Bariatric Times study present gastric sleeve plication as an alternative procedure that can be as restrictive as sleeve gastrectomy with no staple line or prostheses, and as an ideal revision surgery for LAP Band based on the reduction in known complications.

The stomach is reduced by dissecting the greater omentum and short gastric vessels, as in vertical sleeve gastrectomy; the greater curvature is then� invaginated: using multiple rows of nonabsorbable suture over bougie to ensure a patent lumen.

No major complications were reported among the 66 patients. Weight loss outcomes are comparable to gastric bypass.

There isn't a lot of info out there but I did find a press release by Crospon, a medical device company, announcing the EndoFlip, a device that visually guides surgical sizing of the sleeve duirng the gastric sleve plication procedure. They call it "the perfect marriage between a new proceudre and a new technology".

There are a few US surgeons doing it - Dr. Daniel Cottam is one. The Mexico surgical hub for the procedure seems to be Hospital Angeles, in Tijuana, Mexico where Dr. Juan Antonio Lopez Corvala has performed ~50-100 gastric sleeve plications and is conducting training sessions for US surgeons beginning June 5th.

Has anyone heard of the plication? What do you know about it? Has anyone here had the procedure? Please share!

I'm so confused about the whole thing. I wanted the band until I started reading here!! There are some very inspiring exceptions, but MOST posts are about how AWFUL the band is and how they're ALWAYS hungry and the band does NOT WORK!!

Does it work or not?? Should I just go on a strict diet and hope for the best?!

I'm very confused right now as to how the band is helpful, which really sucks because I feel like it's the only surgery I'm comfortable having.

I'm truly confused about how it works and WHY so many people are feeling unsuccessful with it.

I have the band (4 weeks Post-Op) and although it's still really early I'm now wishing I got the plication surgery instead. It seems you can eat more normal than with the band, no pressure in the chest, you can actually feel full. I also hear that you have no head hunger like from the band. With the band, you have a foreign object inside you, it needs maintenance such as fills and you have limitations on what kinds of foods you can and cannot eat. My advise: If you are a self-pay go with the plication.

I know this is kind of an old thread, but I thought to bump this up.. I'd live to hear from some who have done the plication combined with Lap Band... My doc is very insistent that it's the holy grail of all bariatric surgeries. His reasoning makes sense--I'm on my phone now, but later when I get in front of my computer, I'll try to post some of the literature he gave me on this.

Anybody has done this completed? Thanks in advance!

BandIt... I haven't had it yet - scheduled June 20th. My doc was also very enthusiastic and felt like it would continue to increase in popularity. Please share any literature you receive (as there's not a lot to find about the procedure online).

BandIt... I haven't had it yet - scheduled June 20th. My doc was also very enthusiastic and felt like it would continue to increase in popularity. Please share any literature you receive (as there's not a lot to find about the procedure online).

PLEASE move this conversation over to SleevePlicationTalk.com . You can log right in with your LBT credentials.

The only part that disturbs me about the procedure is that they do remove a portion of your stomach, so it is irreversible

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This is not true. They don't remove any stomach at all and it is reversible

The reversibility of gastric plication is still a question mark. Within 2 or 3 months it is, but after that, there is simply not enough experience w/ patients to know. Dr. Lopez Corvala at Hospital Angeles led a session at the last IFSO meeting reporting his results from 200+ patients - hasn't had a reversing situation yet. When asked he says there will be scar tissue as with band, but it's just not clear how long-term scar tissue development affects reversibility of stitches.

The reversibility of gastric plication is still a question mark. Within 2 or 3 months it is, but after that, there is simply not enough experience w/ patients to know. Dr. Lopez Corvala at Hospital Angeles led a session at the last IFSO meeting reporting his results from 200+ patients - hasn't had a reversing situation yet. When asked he says there will be scar tissue as with band, but it's just not clear how long-term scar tissue development affects reversibility of stitches.

PLEASE move this conversation over to SleevePlicationTalk.com . You can log right in with your LBT credentials.

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Checking into this more. I have to have my band removed after only three years. Very upset and hurt over the whole thing.