Hello,I am a 52 y/o trying to make a decision. I thought I wanted s sleeve but then people I've met start talking about a bypass and now a gastric plication(sp). I know I dont want a band. what is the difference with a sleeve and the plication. Don't you feel hungry isn't removed?

I attended the required support group this weekend and was disappointed. They had lost weight, most of them with a gastric bypass, but they looked unhealthy. I have had trouble finding a support group with mostly sleeve participants.They were nice but It seemed like it was just a complaint group.

I had hoped to talk with the surgeon next week because with Kaiser you have your mental health evaluation about a week prior to seeing the surgeon but I screwed up that appointment and now have to wait another month. I didn't reset my clock on sunday, just depended on the cable box clock, and missed my appointment. Totally my fault. Hopefully I can use the time to lose more weight prior to the appt.

Sorry to be a complainer myself but unless you're going through this people don't understand. I haven't told a lot of people for that reason. My history is that I have been overweight all my life. My mom would make jokes about feeding me 3-4 jars of baby food each feeding. my earliest weight I remenber was 101 at 10 y/o. My best weight loss was with the atkins diet where I lost 60 lbs, kept it off for about 6 months the gained it back in 6 months. When starting the options class I was 273,lost to 261 and have lost only 3 since the class ended. I am 5'6" so I would like to get to 140, although 160 would be better than I am right now. I wanted to talk to the surgeon about how realistic my goals are. Any and all thoughts are welcome.

With dedication and perseverance, uou can lose 120 lbs with a sleeve--there's a guy who posts on Obesity Help who has lost 350 lbs. I would urge you to avoid a plication, I don't think Kaiser does them and I have seen lots of complaints about complications and poor weight loss. Given the procedure is fairly new it doesn't look promising. A bypass might get you to goal sooner but in order to maintain the weight loss when the malabsorption phase is done you will have to depend on the new habits you have learned--just like a sleeve.

Personally, I didnt choose bypass because I didnt want the malabsorption part, the dumping (vomiting or Sh^ting over the moon) when you eat certain things with too much sugar in them. That did not sound like a very pleasant existence. I chose the sleeve for me because it would limit the amount of food I could eat, not what I could eat. Granted, we have to eat protein first but that doesnt feel like a diet to me. I always want the meat over the veggies anyway. It fit my lifestyle better. If I want a sweet treat, one or two bites and Im great! I dont feel the need to eat the whole cake or whatever like before. With the bypass, that bite or two of cake or pie will send you straight to the john for Montezuma's revenge. I have freinds who have had the bypass and thats what they tell me. So, its a personal decision but these were my reasons for choosing the sleeve and I am 7 months post op and doing wonderfully. I love my sleeve!!!!!

The best place to get info is by surfing the web and looking at empirical studies with plication. I love my sleeve and I think that whatever site you go on, they are going to tell you that their choice is a better choice. Wish you luck in your decision.

I seriously considered plication but could not come to grips with the fact that your stomach is still there only folded up and sewn with stitches. What happens to all the stitches? What about all the nooks and crannies that this would make? I mean does food and other stuff get caught in there and what, rot? how about insoluble Fiber, apple skins, seeds corn hulls? It scared me.

So I elected for the sleeve and as FC notes it was the one solution that didn't involve a plastic gizmo floating around in your gut (that WILL have to be removed one day) or malabsorbtion because the portion of your intestine that adsorbs most of the Vitamins and Protein is, well, BYPASSED. The final straw was the fact that IF you develop stomach issues it takes an expert and an extra long scope to go down the esophagus through the pouch to the WYE of the bypass and back UP the duodenum into the bottom of the stomach.

The sleeve is simple and quick and presents less long term difficulties than other procedures.

JMHO, IANAD, IANAL.

thanks for the info. I also talked with someone today who's mother had the old fashioned "stomach stapling" who died of stomach cancer because the cancer was in the closed area and by the time the located it it was to late. That was enough for me. I'll just have to lurk around your site to help me keep a positive attitude.

The obestiy help site of vertical sleeve has lots on info.

Julie

You can also utilize you tube for tins of real people documenting their journey. I love what rootman said, he nailed it!