Has anyone had the ~new procedure: the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG)? It's also called the "Accordion" procedure.

(This is a non-surgical procedure, done similarly to a doctor putting the endoscope into your stomach and putting a few stitches in the stomach from the inside, narrowing your capacity. It's relatively new. Some patients who can't undergo surgery; or who had surgery and have stretched their pouch again, might opt for this, I'm told. Instead of ~20 minutes for the VSG, this 'ESG' takes ~ 90 minutes under general anesthesia. Anyone had this done? If so, please report.

Yes in October 2018. Restriction is holding out well so far (though not as restrictive as it was) and I rarely feel hungry. Like all bariatric procedures its a tool and it works well if we work it well.

Compliance of post op diet guidelines particularly volume of food is important to ensure the sutures/anchor points/stomach melding/scarring heals properly to ensure the accordion effect is durable and as long term as possible.

I am a member of a some esg facebook groups and some people haven't had success in different ways. Some feel they haven't lost as much weight or lose weight as fast as VSG or RNY - which is to be expected as the ESG doesn't reduce the volume of the stomach as much as the VSG and there certainly isn't any bypass.

Others possibly through overeating and/or not following the post op diet guidelines in the first couple of months have lost restriction.

Then there are the ones whose doctors possibly through inexperience didn't do a good job of the ESG - insufficient sutures, loose stitches etc.

Finally, there are those that despite how well the ESG was done, how well they followed/continue to follow all the guidelines just don't feel the restriction and haven't had much success.

Some people have already had revisions to VSG or RNY and some others are also using saxenda or other appetite reducing drugs prescribed by their doctor.

Despite all the above there are plenty of success stories.

I chose ESG because I liked the non surgical aspect of it, reduced complications and quicker recovery time. I knew that weight loss would be lower and slower than the surgical options but I was happy with the trade off.

I continue to struggle with sugar/sweet cravings/head stuff. I am still working on replacing those mindless eating habits by replacing them with better/healthier habits. I would like to lose another 5 or so kilos by October, if I don't its not the end of the world, I am much healthier and fitter than I have been in a long time even if my BMI is not in the healthy weight range.

Are you considering topping up your sleeve with an ESG to help with further restriction? I don't recall that any of the members of the ESG groups I belong to have had an ESG following a surgical weight loss procedure but a few have asked about it.

Sorry for the waffling

On 7/15/2019 at 5:11 PM, Hop_Scotch said:

Yes in October 2018. Restriction is holding out well so far (though not as restrictive as it was) and I rarely feel hungry. Like all bariatric procedures its a tool and it works well if we work it well.

Compliance of post op diet guidelines particularly volume of food is important to ensure the sutures/anchor points/stomach melding/scarring heals properly to ensure the accordion effect is durable and as long term as possible.

I am a member of a some esg Facebook groups and some people haven't had success in different ways. Some feel they haven't lost as much weight or lose weight as fast as VSG or RNY - which is to be expected as the ESG doesn't reduce the volume of the stomach as much as the VSG and there certainly isn't any bypass.

Others possibly through overeating and/or not following the post op diet guidelines in the first couple of months have lost restriction.

Then there are the ones whose doctors possibly through inexperience didn't do a good job of the ESG - insufficient sutures, loose stitches etc.

Finally, there are those that despite how well the ESG was done, how well they followed/continue to follow all the guidelines just don't feel the restriction and haven't had much success.

Some people have already had revisions to VSG or RNY and some others are also using saxenda or other appetite reducing drugs prescribed by their doctor.

Despite all the above there are plenty of success stories.

I chose ESG because I liked the non surgical aspect of it, reduced complications and quicker recovery time. I knew that weight loss would be lower and slower than the surgical options but I was happy with the trade off.

I continue to struggle with sugar/sweet cravings/head stuff. I am still working on replacing those mindless eating habits by replacing them with better/healthier habits. I would like to lose another 5 or so kilos by October, if I don't its not the end of the world, I am much healthier and fitter than I have been in a long time even if my BMI is not in the healthy weight range.

Are you considering topping up your sleeve with an ESG to help with further restriction? I don't recall that any of the members of the ESG groups I belong to have had an ESG following a surgical weight loss procedure but a few have asked about it.

Sorry for the waffling

Does your doctor say this procedure is reversible? Not that u want to reverse it for nothing but in case there is a severe complication in the future, it's always good to have a reversible option so the body can go back to its anatomy

It is said to be reversible, however, there has been some doubt about it being reversible over the long term once the anchors and sutures have taken hold/stomach 'melded'. I am no expert but I would say it is possibly reversible in the early stages.

For those who have had an ESG and need a revision some surgeons will not do a VGS due to the anchors but will do a bypass.

Might be good for those only looking to lose less than 100lbs that way you're not putting your body through a major surgery