Right now I have the lapband and have had great success with it. However I talk with my doctor about the sleeve often because sometimes banded patients switch to the sleeve if they have any problems.

My doctor then mentioned a sleeve type surgery that can be done endoscopically. This procedure is done by stitching your stomach smaller from the inside and not the outside.

This is some version of the sleeve and is a new way apparently to do this.

I have tried looking on the internet for more info but havent come up with anything.

Has anyone heard of this?

Can you please tell me what the sutures or incisions are made of? How many are put the stomach? Based videos I've seen, it is only 2.which doesn't seem effective. Do you have any videos or diagrams I can see? I am interested in any statstics on patient success/failure and weight loss amounts. I am about 189 and 5'3 female and would like to get down to around 120-130 ideally.

Yes, I have heard, and read, a LOT about Gastric Plication surgery, and know people who have had it. The two best doctors that I know of who are currently doing this surgery are: Dr. Brad Watkins, in Cleveland Ohio, for $9,500, and Dr. Cotter, in Salt Lake City, Utah, for around $8,000.

Supposedly, it does the same thing as a vertical sleeve but without any cutting, however, the recovery is not that much less than real Sleeve immediatley after surgery. You are still in the hospital for about a day afterwards, maybe two, and still go through the st

stomach swelling, pain, etc. But I bet it's less.

I was seriously considering it, but it is not covered by insurance, and with the travel costs, it would be over $10,000 for me, and I jusst really can't afford it. I had to go with a solution that is covered by insurance.

The other reason that I backed away from it is that, although they "claim" it is reversible, even Dr. Watkins will tell you that after a few months pass, the scarring of the stiches in your stomach will kind of "grow together," and it's not really unreversible, at least not without a nother surgery, and maybe not at all, nobody's sure.

Good luck to you if you can afford it, though,

I have seen this on television. Normally this is for patience that have already had the sleeve or the full bi pass.

Jovonia

What about the ghrelin aspect of it? If they aren't removing the extra part of the stomach, then does the whole stomach still produce the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin? This is why I like VSG...to decrease appetite, not just restricting the size of the stomach.

I've read a couple post by people with plication and it seems they aren't doing so well futher out. One on the OH board was able to eat a whole medium pizza YIKES! Good luck in your research!

There is lots of people that are not losing that much weight on it, I dont think it gets as tight as the sleeve and may stretch easy, im not a Dr just saying from what I have been hearing...

I'm considering the gastric plication. From what I've read it does seem fairly successful but I

think it might be an option especially for lower BMI patients. I'm not sure but this is what it seems

like from some of the reports I've read and from a few of the doctors I've spoken with. I am

deciding between sleeve and plication in addition to my band being replaced. Hopefully, the

plication will be another option for people to consider. There really isn't enough long term data

about the gastric plication, IMO, but from what I know about it, it does provide another option.

Of course, I wish insurance would cover it. There are quite a few clinical trials right now on

the plication so hopefully after the trials, more research will be available and the plication will

eventually be covered by insurance. The best thing for me has been to do research and do what

surgery feels most comfortable for me and my body.