Just wondering does any one know what size bougie or calibration they had to size the stomach.as some are bigger than others .and wondered if they used like a smaller one on a low bmi an larger on a higher bmi?. Just curious.

Bougie size is pretty much irrelevant. There is very little difference between the smallest and largest bougies. Some folks have more volume because they are taller and therefore often have longer sleeves than shorter people, but the bougie doesn't really give you extra room. Here's a picture that shows the difference in sizes.

I just wanted to say thank you for that picture. I had been contemplating this for a bit and just hadn't gotten around to looking up any pictures/literature on it. It is really neat to be able to see the different sizes and I probably would have forgotten to look on my own =)

Well put are you medical Rootman?

No, just pedantic, I really like to KNOW things rather than just guess or assume them.

Bougie size is pretty much irrelevant. There is very little difference between the smallest and largest bougies. Some folks have more volume because they are taller and therefore often have longer sleeves than shorter people' date=' but the bougie doesn't really give you extra room. Here's a picture that shows the difference in sizes.[/quote']

Wow thanks lissa.interesting!!

I asked my dr about this at our last visit he said there was not much difference he used a 34 he did say the smaller the size like a 28 causes more reflux

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I was a low BMI-er going in at 32 and wondered the same thing. I wanted a larger Boogie, a 40f but the dr pretty much ignored me. He said he was doing 32f only but would make it "loose."

Who know how much difference it will make in the end since it really does matter how the dr sees it up, but the simple math can't be ignored. The larger the bougie the larger the sleeve. You can't control the length of you stomach and that is the biggest factor as previously mentioned.

Personally, I was really hoping for the 40f but ohh well. I'm only 2 days post op, leaving back to the states today. It's going to be interesting learning to swallow again. There is no room down there for much water let alone food. Patience and time will make all the difference.

Don't worry, it takes months for you to totally heal, and within a year your tummy will 'relax' and you'll be able to eat more. I ate a cup of food tonight, I'm just over two yrs out. I can eat between 3/4 and 1 cup of food. Usually not quite a cup. I was told he never wants me to eat more than a cup. When I was newly sleeved, I could sip an eighth of a cup of broth!! LoL Oh, BTW, mine is a 32.

My doctor's former nurse had a revision from band to sleeve early on, maybe 9 yrs ago. Hers was a 36 and she said she thinks she'd have been more sucessful had hers been smaller. She likes what she was seeing with a 32, she was also a nurse for another doctor here in Dallas, he did a 30 and she said there were problems more often with that size.

Thanks for sharing NtvTxn! I think I am kind of ahead of the recovery curve on this one. I am able to take in much more volume on liquids that what I am reading from other posters. I don't know if that's because I was a lower BMI or if he made teh sleeve slightly larger. Either way, I was hope for restriction, but not an extreme amount. I have not felt hungry yet at all so I know there are parts that were removed that did the job.

I am thrilled with the way Dr. Rodriguez perfromed my surgery. Very, very little pain, and able to get the liquids down with a could of ounces at a time every few minutes. I have to keep telling myself, liquids only! I finished most of a 12-16 oz protein shake this morning (over the course of an hour) and feel very full. I have also not really had any tastes changes. I am sure extremely sweet stuff will make me sick, but the proteins and other liquid foods all taste the same to me as they did pre surgery.

The question I have for myself is, what will my capacity be in 1-2 years. I hope to be able to eat an amount that is accept socially only when needed and then exactly like you said, a cup or so regularly as each sitting.

I'm down 14 in 10 days and very, very please with how I am recovering, and how I feel!