Gastric Plication is an evolution of the traditional Gastric Sleeve, offering patients a less invasive surgery with no device implants – and therefore fewer complication risks – as well as no necessary follow-up care such as fills and adjustment needed with adjustable gastric banding. In addition, weight loss outcomes are more immediate and dramatic relative to gastric band.
Laparoscopic Gastric Plication is a restrictive procedure that reduces the size of the stomach and limits food intake.
How Is Gastric Plication Performed?
We perform the Gastric Plication as a laparoscopic procedure. This involves making 4 small incisions in the abdomen and performing the procedure using a video camera (laparoscope).
Laparoscopic Gastric Plication, involves sewing one or more large folds in your stomach. During the Laparoscopic Gastric Plication the stomach volume is reduced about 70% which makes the stomach able to hold less and may help you eat less. There is no cutting, stapling, or removal of the stomach or intestines during the Gastric Plicaiton. The Gastric Plication may potentially be reversed.
The Gastric Plication procedure takes approximately one to two hours to complete. Most patients stay in the hospital for 1-2 days after the procedure.
How Does Gastric Plication Cause Weight Loss?
It greatly reduces the size of your stomach and limits the amount of food that can be eaten at one time. After eating a small amount of food, you will feel full very quickly and continue to feel full for several hours. Gastric Plication may also cause a decrease in appetite.
Who is a candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric Plication?
The Laparoscopic Gastric Plication procedure is relatively new, and considered investigational as a primary procedure for weightloss.
What Are The Risks Of Laparoscopic Gastric Plication?
There are risks that are common to any laparoscopic procedure such as bleeding, infection, injury to other organs, or the need to convert to an open procedure. There is also a small risk of a leak from the suture line and obstruction. These problems are rare and major complications occur less than 1% of the time.
What Are The benefits Of Laparoscopic Gastric Plication?
Depending on their pre-operative weight, patients can expect to lose between 40% to 70% of their excess body weight in the first year after surgery. Many obesity-related comorbidities improve or resolve after bariatric surgery. Diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and abnormal cholesterol levels are improved in more than 75% of patients undergoing a bariatric procedure.
Plication benefits:
- Plication is an ambulatory procedure – only 2 nights total hospital stay, and done by the laparoscope
- No loss of stomach tissue
- No devices – no staples, no bands, no fills, no adjustments.
- No complication from leaks or staple line bleeding
- Procedure does not impair dietary habits, and do not cause malabsorption
- Easily reversible
- First available post-12 month procedure outcome data indicates weight loss outcomes comparable to gastric bypass (the ‘gold standard’ of weight loss surgery,
- Currently the lowest cost weight loss procedure available