Four years out from gastric sleeve surgery. Lost 96 lbs. Went back for a check up. Did barium swallow. PA told me that my sleeve had returned to pre op size. Anyone have this problem? I'm trying to get back on track with the diet journal but feeling like a failure. Advise welcome. I was told by the PA that I would need to get bypass now.

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I thought the sleeve doesn’t grow back. I’m pre op so not sure. Does he mean you stretched it?

They claimed it stretched back to normal size

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I thought it was very hard to stretch it back. How was your food intake?

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Do you still feel any restriction at all?

Yeah I have heard of this happening after 4 or 5 years and lot of it is food intake. I know my surgeon has started something call the 5 year plan to help patients who encounter this you may want to ask about that option before doing the bypass..

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Why are you concerned, have you starting regaining weight or have you not lost enough to get to goal yet. 96lb lost seems pretty good

Why are you concerned, have you starting regaining weight or have you not lost enough to get to goal yet. 96lb lost seems pretty good

I gained 30 lbs since losing 96. I was told by the PA after my last barium swallow that the reason for the weight gain was because my sleeve is stretched out to the size it was before surgery.

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Yeah I have heard of this happening after 4 or 5 years and lot of it is food intake. I know my surgeon has started something call the 5 year plan to help patients who encounter this you may want to ask about that option before doing the bypass..

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Was is the 5 year plan? I don't want to have another surgery.

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Do you still feel any restriction at all?

Yes

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I thought it was very hard to stretch it back. How was your food intake?

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I followed all of the rules but I think I started eating larger quantities.

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Bariatriceating.com also has a diet plan you can order the products and it’s supposed to help you feel restriction again. Basically going back to basics and eating like when your first got out of surgery for like a week. Protein drinks, soups, water, etc.

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 9:06 AM, pattisue said:

I followed all of the rules but I think I started eating larger quantities.

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That will do it. It does not take long to stretch it out and if you do it repeatedly by overeating it will be back to normal size. Good luck!

Was is the 5 year plan? I don't want to have another surgery.

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I don't know alot of the details about it but apparently it's a new program to help weight loss patients stay on track. It is very new and I'm not sure how many Surgeons are apart of it. My surgery was at Woman's in Louisiana if that helps

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I don't comment that much anymore, but there is so much misinformation in this thread that it needs to be addressed.

A sleeved stomach will never "stretch out" to normal size. Swelling will subside, scar tissue will soften, but stretching out just doesn't happen. It can't. The fundus was removed. However; frequent and constant over eating can weaken the esophageal sphincter and/or the pylorus.

With the esophageal sphincter weakening you would experience frequent heartburn. With the weakened pylorus, food just gets pushed out of the stomach before the bulk of digestion can happen. This leads to a decrease in satiety and more frequent eating.

Either your doctor doesn't know what he is talking about, or he is just telling you something in "layman terms". But that does neither you nor the community any good since it just perpetuates the belief that a sleeve can be stretched.

Thank you so much for your advice. I didn't even get to see the doctor. It was a nurse practitioner who saw me and said these things. You have given me hope!!

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