I currently have a lap band, have had it for 6 years! I have only lost 60 pounds and am tired of the fills and then unfills. My pouch is stretched out for the 4th time and am considering the sleeve, but the new procedure that is called sleeve plication. It seems less invasive than the removal of the stomach and was wondering if anyone can give me any of their experience with this? I think the sleeve also looks like my cup of tea, god knows I am tired of paying for fills that dont work.:thumbup:

Hungry is the key. With the band you still have hungry and Idon't know about the plication (hungry), but with the sleeve you have no hungry!

I originally was banded in 2006 and the first year was wonderful. But then, I had nothing but problems. I ended up gaining back everything I had lost because I lived on ice cream. It was the only thing I could get down and keep down, even when completely unfilled. I revised to the sleeve 1 1/2 years ago and couldn't be happier. I have lost over 100 pounds and barely even think about it.

I have noticed that when I am tight with my band, I cant eat fruit, or more than a couple of bites. With the sleeve plication, are you able to eat fruit?

I'm not sure why people think this new plication is "less invasive".

They still do it laparascopically...they are still stapling your stomach. The only difference is with plication they are folding accordion style (from what I've read) and then stapling it off...without actually removing a portion of it.

I really don't see how it could be reversible....after having all that for any length of time, I somehow doubt removing those staples that the stomach is going to just go back to being it's old normal big self. Furthermore, I'm not sure why anyone would WANT to reverse it.

But I keep reading "less invasive" and that's what I really don't get.

Can someone explain this to me?

I believe no foreign objects are in the stomach, no staples either. The stomach is sutured or sewn and should you need your god given stomach later in life and need to eat more due to health issues, the sutures would be removed. I too am uncertain that after years of being sewn shut, whos to say that the stomach wont close up permanently, but only time will tell. Since this is a new procedure, we wont know that.

i'm thinking the sutured area will grow together and form scar tissue,i don't see how the stomach can be made whole again should you need it again.

Not to mention if it's sewn shut / stapled whatever...wouldn't that cut off blood supply to that tissue and eventually kill it? Wouldn't that tissue die?

I'm no doctor, but that seems quite plausible to me.

I have noticed that when I am tight with my band, I cant eat fruit, or more than a couple of bites. With the sleeve plication, are you able to eat fruit?

Yes you can eat fruit it just depends when some drs make you wait longer then others:thumbup1:

Hi,

I had plication on July 15th. I didn't have surgery with the intent on it being reversible or wanting it to be reversed.

However both my surgeon and Dr. Watkins claim that it can be "undone" or "reversed". Yes there will probably be scar tissue and it isn't as easy as taking the hem out of a pair of pants.

There is a sub forum on this site, that has loads of information. Dr. Watkins has been posting some great information on there, and those of us who have had this procedure have been posting our particular experience. Total Gastric Vertical Plication Sleeve Surgery - Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery (VSG) Forum

I don't think it is any less invasive, it is laparascopic, 5 incisions, you are under general anesthesia, you go through a diet progression, from clears to liquids, to mushy, puree, soft then normal...just like with the sleeve.

I think the main difference is that the sleeve is created by suturing your stomach vs, cutting out your stomach, there is some controversy on what the hunger hormone does with this surgery (in my case I don't get hungry...but varies from person to person). My surgeon uses a 32f bougie, I can eat about 1/2-3/4 of food (I think that is a little more than with traditional sleeve at my stage (6 weeks out). My diet is Protein first. I was able to tolerate foods at earlier times than with traditional sleeve, I had swelling, but didn't have a seamline, or stapleline, so my stomach was able to get back to my "new normal" fairly quickly, I ate chicken breast and steak at 4 weeks.

It is a personal decision, and for me this was the way to go.....I would do it again and have done well for me.

Take time and decide which procedure is best for you, no one knows their body better than you.

Take care, and research, research, research....it is a decision for a lifetime....don't go into anything thinking it is reversible or can be undone....