I called Dr. Cottam's office in SLC today inquiring about doing the Sleeve Plication for my best friend. I wanted to know what insurance he was able to get to cover it as he's one of the few US Drs. that performs it. His office told me that they have just recently had enough Sleeve people to convince Cigna and Aetna to begin coverage and that getting coverage on the Sleeve Plication would be years down the road. But then what he said blew my mind! He said in order to get more patients to have had Plication he was doing them completely for FREE on his services but the Hospital, room, Anesthesiologist etc. complete walk out the door price was $6375, but the work up was $500, which included a same day blood work and visit with Psychologist and all Administration costs.My Sleeve Plication cost more than that down in Tijuana, so before going to Mexico, if you're a self pay and want Plication, he's one of the leaders in the field, I just wished I'd know that....B

Edited June 6, 201016 yr by Betterbytheday

Hi B! How are you doing? So, I've recently gotten back into believing it's possible for me to have WLS and was dead set on the VSG, then I read about POSE and now Plication. Pose and Plication sound very similar to me so I need to research the differences more. I'm wondering if you know of any other US doctors that are doing the Plication surgeries?

And also, can you tell me when you had your surgery, was it done orally like the POSE procedure or laprascopicaly and how has your recover and return to normal foods and appetite been so far? I appreciate ANY information you can give me. I think this may be the answer to some major prayers!!

Krystal

Krystal, I opted for the plication as it didn't require removal of the stomach or staples, the staples could have possibly presented problems for me going through security at airports and I am a flight attendant, so that was definitely a concern. Dr. Cottam is one of only 3 American doctors doing the plication here in the states. If I had known about his pricing at the time of my surgery I would have DEFINITELY gone to him. As for my surgery done down in Mexico by Dr. Corvala, I feel his sutures are not as nice and neat as they could be, they're stitched and I prefer them glued as was done when I had the lapband. I am still on slider type foods and eating less but they are not necessarily light on calories, but I am not feeling the plication I had to be very tight, but the foods I'm eating currently are easily digestible and move through quickly. I will have to wait a bit to see really how much I can eat before feeling full. I'm sorry I haven't been much help to you in this but it's still early for me to see big results, I lost much weight on the liquids but not that I'm able to eat more substantial foods, I've stopped actually losing, which is alright for the time being but I'm hoping the weight loss resumes here soon. Let me know what you actually decide, I'll keep an eye out for your progress.

B

Hi...I was surprised by your reference to staples causing a problem getting through TSA...first I have heard of this...where did you learn this???? Thanks

Dr. Cottam is doing my post op care, has a kookie bedside manner, but is an EXCELLENT surgeon. Good luck with your decisions!

I can't find the other 2 US docs that do the plication for the life of me. In all my research I've found Dr. Cottam, the Mexico doc and I saw something somewhere about a doc at the University of Florida but when I looked him up I didn't find anything about him doing this type of surgery. Guess I'll just sit back and wait awhile and keep trying to lose weight on my own until more info becomes available. Thanks for all the info!!!!

KK, I can't take the chance that the metal would be detected as all the machines are calibrated differently. I set off he alarms the other day and held up my crew for over 5 minutes (that's lengthy for us when we need to show at the gate) and there was absolutely NOTHING causing it to go off but my bra wire. The machine in my home town is sooo sensitive you can't have anything metal on. More problematic than the machine is the wand, it would go off on me at the belly area I'm sure. For the occasional traveler or someone with some time on their hands this wouldn't present a problem, but our crews all wait for one another and I can't take that chance, then have to explain or show documentation (like those with rods and pins), it's just not something I care to do. Not all TSA personel are sticklers but with my luck, I'd find them.

I don't know where the other doctors are (and I think one of them was only here temporarily). but Dr. Cottam has more than enough experience to suit me, good luck on what you decide to do.

BBTD

Thanks for our response...I travel a couple of times a week...an though some TSA folks are nice, others are not.... Hopefully I won't be setting the machines off....

I am 3 months out and have flown at least 10 times in the last 12 weeks all over the country and nothing has been set off at any airport for me. Good luck with your journey.

Frankie

VSG 3/22/10

I was wondering how people who had this procedure were doing overall? I am new today, just signed on to this site, any help would be greatly appreciated as I attempt to navigate the site---

Surgical staples are made of titanium which has a low electrical signature which is very difficult to detect with a metal detector.

Secondly if the detector were set so sensitive as to detect the tiny amount of metal in these staples, your zipper in your jeans contain more metal and would set it off before the staples would.

Thanks for the info on the staples, I didn't feel I wanted to risk it even though it may or may not set off the machines (there are great variations in sensitivities), it was a personal choice I made as I knew it couldn't be undone if it did present problems, and I know what has to be done to alleviate the issue at security (presenting documentation, etc) and I was unwilling to risk that if I didn't have to. I wouldn't know about the zippers as our uniform's zippers are plastic and all the buttons have been switched from metal to plastic since the stepped up security. This shouldn't be a deciding factor for the general populace and nor was it THE deciding factor for me, I just felt the plication better suited my needs, and I stated why, that's all. There are many weight loss choices out there, we all have to find the right fit for our lifestyle and situation. Good luck on which ever one you choose.

The Cleveland Clinic did a clinical study of this surgery with volunteers. It has been completed but the results have not been made public.

Assessment of Gastric Volume Reduction in Surgical Weight Loss Candidates - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Thanks for the heads up on the study KabinKitty, please let us know when the results are made public if you find out.

BBTD,

I am waiting to get the results back from an infection I got while on the band. YOU ARE RIGHT the staples are the worst thing to do. It is a foreign object in your body that will sooner or later be rejected. I will do my research and see what is the best for my situation as I go forward here. I certainly dont want to be setting off any alarms but even worse getting sick since i decide to put staples in my body. i much rather have stitching. How are you healing? do you feel anything inside your body that seems odd? I wonder if your band to sleeve will be as quick a drop as others here.

I removed my band and gained back 59 lbs. I need to do something quick to get back on board but I am afraid. what is your best day look like?

Blahblah

Dear Blah Blah,

Please know that I never said that staples are the worst thing to do, I don't feel that way at all, I am actually encouraging my best girlfriend to get the vertical sleeve with the staples for she has to go through an insurance company and will have to wait years for the plication to be covered. After the initial healing is done there is very little difference in lifestyle between the two. I was not sure about the staples setting off alarms I just knew that I didn't want to take that chance as I couldn't undo it once done. Security is difficult enough without adding to it. That was a choice based on my work. Some people reject things in their body more than others, I had the band and other than the slip, I had absolutely no problems with it while others did.

When I saw my flouro after the surgery I seemed to have a pouch at the top of my stomach rather than a straight up and down sleeve that looks like a stovepipe. What I think happened is that my Dr. just stitched the part of my stomach past where my band restricted and left the original pouch there. I can currently eat probably 2-3 oz more than those that were not revision or plications from what I've read on the site. This leads me to believe that my weight loss will be slower than usual, but I'm so new out (a month) I can't really establish a pattern. The comfort level is so much better than the band, you feel full but I haven't had the watery eyes, excess salivating wanting to throw up feeling I had with the band, so for that, I'm grateful. My choices on food are greater, I could eat no meat with the band, but that was because mine had slipped early on.

I'm not a typical plication patient as I'm a revision. Perhaps there will be others on the forum that started with fresh stomachs, they would be the ones to really ask about it. Good luck on whatever you decide,

BBTD