Hi all. I really appreciate you all posting your progress, experiences and suggestions. I am a 55 year old female and I have to do something. I have struggled with my weight all my life. I lost 80 lbs several years ago and have gained every bit of that back and then some. I used to hear those stories and think how does someone let themselves do that? I can't explain how I let it happen, it just did. Yes, I know it was my poor choices and lack of exercise but what I don't get is why I couldn't stop myself knowing how unhappy I was when I was heavy....anyway this is the end of my sob story. I have three small grandchildren and I intend to get myself healthy, active and enjoy a long and healthy life with them, our grown children and my supportive husband.

Thank you all for listening and I will update as soon as I am able after my surgery. I now know I have a great support system and feel prepared to take on the next step in my life.

Congratulations to you too! A shared journey is always better. We can keep each other on track. Thanks so much for the response. Let the weight loss begin!

By the way where are you having yours done?

I am going to Dr. Brad Watkins in Ohio.

I am going to Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana, Mexico. Keep us posted on your journey!

I had pretty much narrowed it down to him too but my husband put his foot down about me leaving the states for the surgery. I hear such wonderful reports of the fabulous treatment by Dr. Ortiz and his staff, I know you will come through spendidly! Yes, we absolutely must keep in touch.

My personal email is imsissy@msn.com if you would like to communicate privately sometimes. I intend to stay on the boards but since we will be right on the same schedule there may be things we only want to share between the two of us.

Feeling like I have a buddy has definitely helped relieve some of my stress. Thanks again for responding.

Hi, I've not been successful with the plication and wouldn't recommend it. Please see below for some supporting stats:

"overall weight loss was considered satisfactory in 78.6% of the patients who underwent gastric plication and in 97.5% of those who underwent sleeve."

Source: http://www.skrekas.net/surg_hemstatistics.htm

I would seriously look into Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy if I were you. There are surgeons that do it via a single incision (I'm aware of one in London that does it). He charges a few hundred pounds more as it's more time in the OR, but something worth considering if you're concerned about this invasiveness of surgery. HTH.

Congratulations on your decision. I hope you have a successful journey. KUP.

I appreciate your comments TijuanaPlication. I am too close and have struggled with this decision far too long (to the point of a break down at times) so I am going forward.

As I look at the boards I see those who are happy with their results and those who are not which proves the point that we are all so different and what will work for some will not work for others and vice versa, much the same as any diet I have been on.

So, I am very sorry that it has not worked for you. In my prayers for it to work for me, I will include a prayer for you that you will find the perfect combination or procedure that will work for you as well.

Thanks again for your input. This board, all the encouragement and honest feedback has been a sanity saver for me.

That's so sweet.

Thanks and all the best.

So, I am very sorry that it has not worked for you. In my prayers for it to work for me, I will include a prayer for you that you will find the perfect combination or procedure that will work for you as well.

I am scheduled for January 12th. I am pretty nervous but excited for this next step. I have been reading the boards for months now and decided to take the plunge. I love reading everyone's ups and downs they have helped to make my decision.

I love that there are more people who are having the surgery who are joining the forum! It is nice to have each other to talk to about things that our friends and family may never have to go through! Good luck with your surgery! It is getting close. Where are you going?

Northwest Weight Loss Surgery in Everett. It is particularly difficult for me because I am only telling a few of my friends, so I am excited to have this board.

My wife and I are scheduled for Feb 13th with Dr. Ortiz. It's very exciting to hear the success stories. I am however nervous for my wife. Her BMI is only 28.5. Any thoughts?

I have not had much restriction at all since about the 3 rd month out. I am very disappointed in plication. I wish I had done the vsg. I had my plication done by dr Watkins. I had a good experience there. Very kind and professional dr and staff. I hope plication works for all of you better then it has for me. Yes, I have lost about 70 pounds, but I have had to fight for every pound. I jog two miles a day about 4 days a week, a nd I also go to the gym 2 times a week. All of my cravings are back, and I pretty much hate myself. I struggle everyday still with food choices. I just thought WLS would help me feel more normal and more in control, but as I sit here in tears, I can tell you I feel like an epic failure. I don't feel normal or in control. I used to feel like I could reach my goal weight, I need to lose 40 more pounds. I dont know if I will ever get there. I need restriction, and I feel like my portions are about the same as they were before. It sucks!

I am very happy with my GSP. MIne was done in TJ Mexico with Dr. Corvala. Great experience. Am I as restricted as I thought I would be, no.But I am restricted. The recovery is so much faster. I am 105 days out and have lost 52 pounds. I have about 50 more to go. My doctor told me that it would be a year or 18 months to level out. I would do it again in a heartbeat. In fact I will probably have a tummy tuck at Angeles Hospital when it is that time.

Hi, I've not been successful with the plication and wouldn't recommend it. Please see below for some supporting stats:

"overall weight loss was considered satisfactory in 78.6% of the patients who underwent gastric plication and in 97.5% of those who underwent sleeve."

Source: http://www.skrekas.net/surg_hemstatistics.htm

I would seriously look into Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy if I were you. There are surgeons that do it via a single incision (I'm aware of one in London that does it). He charges a few hundred pounds more as it's more time in the OR, but something worth considering if you're concerned about this invasiveness of surgery. HTH.

Tijuana Plication: WLS is a tool and it is important that the tool matches the problem. VSG is a very invasive surgery which does away with 80-85% of the stomach. It was designed as a first surgery for these who were too sick to tolerate a full gastric bypass. It was not designed as a stand alone surgery. Everyone should consult a professional to explore all possibilities and decide what procedure is right for them. What makes this kind of forum important is that the literature doesn't tell you the whole story and individual experiences are valuable. It might be valuable for those contemplating surgery to hear your story. Did you have VSG after plication?

I for one value what TijuanaPlication has to say. I wish I had seen more of the truth (good and bad) before I had surgery. When I had surgery there was such a scarce amount of information out there. I would have probably still had plication, but it would have been nice to have more info. I think most people are going to take all the posts, both positive and negative, and weigh them against their own situation and personality and then make their own decision. TP isn't bullying anyone, and she isn't saying she is giving medical advice (far from it, her signature implies just the opposite). On the other hand, when you say you are a medical professional, that lends some weight...however, unless you are a gastric doctor, and have specifically treated a patient in particular, I don't think your advice is any more weighted in my mind than that of TP. I don't mean to be mean...just to say that we are all in a similar boat here. We are all either post plication or are thinking about having it, and ALL information is valuable. I wouldn't want to censor anyone, just because they critique something that I like or something that worked for me. I want to hear what everyone has to say...it's all been very helpful, and I don't want to see ANYONE bullied on these boards for their opinion. I'm not looking for drama..in fact just the opposite..let's all be supportive of the active exchange of information and encouragement. Despite the fact that TP's plication didn't work for her, she has been a big cheerleader of each and every one of our successes along the way-that takes some character, I think it would be hard for me to be happy for other's weight loss if I had stalled out!

I remember when I was just a few weeks post plication, and my restriction was great. I also thought how wonderful plication was,and how anyone who said anything different must be doing something wrong. I am not saying that it is a bad surgery( I've lost about 80 pounds) I just think it will be interesting to hear what some of these newbies think in 7 or 8 months from now.

The occ has been doing this surgery for over 2 years now. Where are all of their before and after pics of These plication patients? I cant find any on their website or their many YouTube commercials. I cant find any before and after pics from plication. The occ boasts about their plication (money maker) success. I want to see and read about all their happy skinny patients. Where are you?

I remember when I was just a few weeks post plication, and my restriction was great. I also thought how wonderful plication was,and how anyone who said anything different must be doing something wrong. I am not saying that it is a bad surgery( I've lost about 80 pounds) I just think it will be interesting to hear what some of these newbies think in 7 or 8 months from now.

The occ has been doing this surgery for over 2 years now. Where are all of their before and after pics of These plication patients? I cant find any on their website or their many YouTube commercials. I cant find any before and after pics from plication. The occ boasts about their plication (money maker) success. I want to see and read about all their happy skinny patients. Where are you?

I met two patients that were at OCC for tummy tucks. One was down 100 pounds in a year and the other had lost 120 in 16 months. My neighbor also had plication done a year ago last August and he has lost 165#. He says he still can't eat much. I also have patients who had gastric bypass who lost and gained. One of them lost 250# and has gained back almost 300#. You would think that a bypass would be hard to stretch but it happens all the time. For me, if I can use this plication to go from morbid obesity to mild obesity, I would have won the health battle I couldn't win before. For me it is not about that ideal number, nothing about me has ever been ideal, it is about moving the needle closer to healthier.