Hi! Do the staples always stay in the stomach on the new sleeve, or do they absorb or something over time?

Hi Lisa, My Australian surgeon told me that there are 3 rows of titanium staples that remain in the stomach but stomach tissue does grow over this - apparently.

Yes ma'am, they stay where they are. They are so small though, they are scarcely bigger than a hair! I imagined these big ol' staple gun staples!! The scar tissue grows over them and it all becomes one little happy family down there.

Thank you, both of you!!!

Great question! I am a little worried though. Have you guys heard of vertical banded gastroplasty or "VBG" also known as stomach stapling surgery. I have been reading many forums and threads online about people who are 10-12 years out and their staples start giving them serious issues. I hope that this doesn't happen with gastric sleeve when people start becoming 10 or more years out from surgery. I am hoping the newer technology prevents that from happening.

sleeved & hopeful...Like what kind of problems?

Yes what exactly are the "serious issues" that they experienced? I think that procedure also has a band implant... Can you tell us more?

I have heard from many people that there is staple line leakage accompanied with serious vomiting issues. I don't know how much of it is from the band that was placed but I do know some of it is from the staple line itself. I think it's a combination. I've read that the staples weren't always reinforced 10-15-20 years ago like they are now. One lady I know had VBG in 2000 and now in 2012 she has the staple line leakage and the severe vomiting. She is desperate to get a revision surgery or whatever they can do. I feel so bad for her. I personally think that the problems are combined complications from the banding, the staples not being reinforced like they are now, and simply just bad luck. One weight loss surgeon I saw said that....believe it or not...they stopped doing VBG due to ineffective weight loss and that as many as 1 in 50 of their patients years and years later developed the staple line leakage. However, even still that is staggering. If you read the forums, you will see many reports of this issue.

Don't get scared though. I really think that the sleeve's staples are done so much better now than they were then and plus we don't have a band. So hopefully this will not be a major problems for us sleevers. Surgery methods and staples have improved drastically since VBG.

Does anyone know if the titanium staples would set of a metal detector (at the airport, for instance), or if they would make us ineligible for an MRI?

Nope, they don't. I've had an MRI and gone through metal detectors since surgery without a problem.

The staples are titanium so no, they do not set off the detectors and yes you can still get an MRI. I bought and read Dr. Alvarez's book about the sleeve surgery and it is GREAT! I highly recommend you read it!

I cannot, in my mind, understand how the staples could cause problems down the road. The staples aren't holding your stomach together for life. Your stomach does eventually heal and grows scar tissue over the staple line. So I wonder what was going on with the other surgery?

I do wish we had more long term data on this surgery but it is what it is.

Thanks for the info! It was something nagging at me. Good to know.

Thanks for bringing this question up Lisa, it has had me thinking about that aspect of the sleeve and disregarded before.

Staples stay in you for life. They are titanium and do not mess with metal detectors or cause problems. They are covered over by scar tissue. The staple line will actually heal back stronger than your original stomach tissue.

Finally.....all WLS procedures (RNY, sleeve, DS, etc) use staples. It's not just the sleeve....so if staples were going to cause problems we would have heard about it.