I'm new to the site. My doctor just discussed the lapband with plication yesterday. Up to that point I had been planning on gastric bypass but he suggested the other since it is considered less invasive. My biggest concern is hunger. I want the option that pretty much eliminates hunger. I have heard that gastric bypass (and the sleeve) cuts out the portion of the stomach that causes hunger feelings. Does folding the stomach in an stiching it do the same thing? Also, I was planning on taking 3 weeks off work for gastric bypass. Will labband with plication require as much recovery time?

The Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) cuts out the main area that produces grhelin but the body still produces grhelin in other areas and these areas can bring hunger levels to more or less what they were pre-surgery.

VSG gives you the highest chance of resolving hunger, but it doesn't resolve it for everyone - it's just that your odds are better. Plication hasn't resolved my hunger issues (I just eat a little less in a sitting but not a lot - my restriction hasn't really been sufficient to produce much weight loss).

You'll find some people suggesting taking an antacid to help with hunger - although according to the medical profession this shouldn't affect hunger. In any case I did take an antacid for a couple of weeks, but it didn't help me.

If you qualify for bypass then you also qualify for the Duodenal Switch (DS). VSG is part one of a 2 stage DS op (it's regularly done in one stage though). If the VSG doesn't provide sufficient weight loss or resolve your hunger, revising to a DS should still be an option. DSers have a high Protein and generally high fat diet (some have to experiment to find a level that suits them). Most DSers are satiated with a high protein and high fat diet - they malabsorb 80% fat, 50% protein and some complex carbs (they absorb 100% of simple carbs).

Please don't go with the RNY gastric bypass, as it's really difficult to revise from this surgery. Also with RNY you only malabsorb calories for 2 years but you malabsorb nutrients forever!

Remember Carnie Wilson when she was looking fab and posed for Playboy and now she's back over 200lbs (better than the >300lbs she started at, but she's only 5"3). BTW that wasn't a dis to Carnie, with RNY you just get the tables turned on you around 2 years out and that's why a lot RNYers seek revisions.

BTW I believe that no stomach is removed with RNY, it's simply stapled off and is therefore likely to have a similar effect on hunger to plication IMO (ie when the stomach is full it's stretched and that creates the full sensation but then when empty you'll get hungry).

HTH