5 ways to improve your shape after weight loss

At VIDA Bariatrics we understand that having the perfect body takes time, so what happens to your skin once you lose weight and how do you get that desired toned body?

Your body has amazing versatility to transform, but this can take a while for it to catch up with itself after a major change. If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight in a short period, you might still have some loose skin hanging around. While this is reasonable, it can have a negative effect on how you perceive your own progress, and you may still be unhappy with your appearance despite lifestyle changes and the significant weight loss you’ve achieved.

Your skin is a multicellular living organ. The cells on the surface of the skin are lost and replaced every day, but the cells on the inside take longer to regenerate. Your skin essentially stretches or shrinks as you lose or gain weight. By reducing the fat that keeps skin stretched out, you’ll briefly deteriorate the skin’s elasticity, causing post-weight-loss skin to appear loose and flabby.

Here are 5 ways to improve your shape after weight loss

Exercise and healthy eating

Certain nutrients from diet-rich meals and high-quality sources are required to form collagen and other components of healthy skin.

Weight training exercises can help reduce the appearance of loose skin, especially if the loose skin is the result of weight loss.

Moisture and Hydration 

While it is critical to hydrate your skin from the inside by drinking plenty of water, you must also hydrate the skin’s surface to keep it healthy. Since water makes up the majority of your skin cells, dehydration makes your skin appear thinner and less plump. Drink at least two liters of water per day to stay properly hydrated, and you’ll notice a difference in your skin relatively soon. 

Massage

Regular massage, like exfoliation, helps to increase blood circulation to the skin’s surface, which encourages the growth of new skin cells for a firmer appearance. It can also help relieve muscle tension and promote a stress-free mindset. By applying enough compression with their hands, forearms, or fingers to reach the muscles beneath the skin, the masseuse can ensure that they are reaching the muscles beneath the skin, rather than just the skin itself. Increased blood flow and an anti-aging response can be triggered by massaging loose skin.

Radiofrequency and Ultrasound treatment

Massage, radiofrequency, and infrared light may be used in this treatment to address loose skin caused by excess weight loss. Although this therapy may not result in weight loss, it may help reduce the number of small fat cell sites.

  • Ultrasound: Skin tightening with ultrasound. Heat is used to stimulate collagen production in this procedure. To heat deeper layers of the skin, focused ultrasound energy is transmitted through the skin’s surface.
  • Radiofrequency: Treatments with radiofrequency Another safe energy transfer method that heats the skin to stimulate collagen production. The outer layer of the skin is the focus of this method. Safe energy transfer that warms the skin and stimulates collagen production.

VIDA Wellness and Beauty are dedicated to providing high-quality treatments, and this includes the medical staff. Only qualified doctors, not nurses, physician assistants, or aestheticians, perform the procedures, which sets us apart from other cosmetic practices. CoolShaping is a treatment offered at VIDA which employs selective cryolipolysis (Fat freezing) using a set of plates to reach a temperature up to -10 Celsius. An anti-freeze pad is placed over the skin fold so that the skin exposed to the freezing plates will not be damaged. The fat cells disappear after apoptosis (programmed cell death) and are removed completely by macrophages in a slow, gradual and progressive way during the next 2-3 months after the initial treatment.

Body Contouring Surgery

A plastic surgeon performs body contouring surgery, which means cutting excess skin and fat from the body. To give your body a smoother appearance, the surgeon will work to improve the shape of the remaining tissue. Based on where you have excess skin and how much you want to be removed, there are several types of body contouring surgeries, including:

  1. Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) 
  2. Panniculectomy (skin removal surgery)
  3. Arm lift (Brachioplasty) 
  4. Breast lift
  5. Lower body lift
  6. Thigh lift 

It’s crucial to wait until you’ve reached and maintained a stable weight before dealing with excess skin. If you continue to lose weight after body contouring, you will almost certainly need to repeat the procedure due to excess skin. Before considering body contouring procedures, experts advise  8 months to a year after bariatric surgery and maintaining a stable weight during that time.

Factors that influence the loss of skin elasticity

  • Time: The longer someone has been overweight, the looser their skin will be after losing weight due to elastin and collagen loss.
  • Amount of weight lost: Weight loss of 100 pounds or more tends to have a noticeable amount of excess skin in comparison to less drastic weight loss 
  • Age: Older skin has less collagen and tends to be looser after extreme weight loss
  • Smoking: Collagen production is reduced, and existing collagen is damaged, resulting in loose, sagging skin.
  • Sun Exposure: Your skin can be damaged by sun exposure in the past, present, and future.

For many, regaining the confidence they’ve always wished for by losing excess skin can be a dream come true. And you can get it all using the methods listed above with any of the products and services offered at VIDA Wellness and Beauty. The decrease of elasticity in the skin induces loose skin as a result of rapid fat loss. This can be addressed in a variety of ways, from natural remedies like muscle-building exercises to medical solutions like plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery with any of our certified Doctors. Always remember to weigh the benefits and disadvantages before making a decision. Overall, you should choose the best option for you to achieve a positive body image.

Is Bariatric Surgery Reversible? Is a Gastric Bypass Reversible?

Bariatric surgery refers to procedures that promote weight loss by restructuring your digestive system. Even though the majority of these weight loss surgeries have resulted in successful weight loss, severe complications from the bariatric surgery or a lack of success in attempting to lose weight may mean that the patient wants to reverse the procedure. If you have had bariatric surgery or are considering it, you may be wondering if a bariatric procedure is reversible.

What Factors Influence Weight Loss Surgery Reversibility?

Because of the differences in each bariatric surgery, it is achievable to reverse certain weight loss procedures but not others, a reversal has a higher risk of complications. Other surgical operations are deemed irreversible, especially if a portion of the stomach was removed during the procedure. Weight loss procedures that involve a device such as a band or an intragastric balloon may have lower reversal chances than surgeries that do not.

Reversible Bariatric Procedures vs. Permanent Bariatric Procedures

Reversible ✅

 Irreversible  ❌
Gastric Bypass Surgery  The most frequent type of bariatric operation is gastric bypass surgery, which is performed in two stages. The first phase includes the formation of a tiny pouch, whereas the second phase is concerned with linking the pouch to the small intestine. Gastric bypass reversal is technically possible, however, it involves extensive sophisticated surgery that can be difficult to do. It is frequently thought to be irreversible since it shrinks the stomach, reorganizes the digestive system, and produces several changes in gut hormones. Sleeve Gastrectomy The sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical technique that curves out a bigger section of the stomach. This makes reversing the surgery difficult since the missing piece can never be put back into its original position. Although it may be beneficial to the patient for weight loss, it is an operation that cannot be reversed.
Gastric Band Adjustment Gastric band surgery, also called gastric banding, is a minor weight loss surgery that may be reversed by removing the implanted device. Although bariatric patients can undergo subsequent procedures to alter or reposition the band, it can remain in place for an extended period of time until the patient is confident enough to lose weight without the band’s assistance. Duodenal Switch  This form of bariatric surgery alters the digestive tract so that food may bypass a bigger part of the small intestine. Because of the difficulty of this weight loss surgery and the removal of a bigger piece of the digestive system, a duodenal switch is irreversible. Although re-arrangements may be made to mimic normal food transit, significant compromises must be made to make this happen, making the subsequent surgeries riskier.

Is It Safe to Undo Bariatric Surgery/Gastric Bypass Surgery?

The short answer is yes, some gastric bypass surgeries can be reversed. However, reversing it would involve a procedure of equal or greater magnitude and risk than the original. Reduced blood flow and scar tissue are two variables that make surgical reversal difficult. Several studies have found that individuals who had surgical reversals had great results. Other techniques, on the other hand, are considered dangerous and impractical if they cannot be reversed in principle.

How Do I Schedule a Bariatric Surgery Appointment?

Dr. Rodriguez will go over the bariatric procedure in detail, including the benefits and drawbacks of gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery. Make a weight loss procedure appointment with the VIDA Bariatrics team!

Laparoscopic Surgery: What It Is, Its Advantages, and How It Can Help You

What Is Laparoscopic Surgery and What Are the Benefits?

Laparoscopic or “minimally invasive” surgery is a specialized technique for performing surgery. Over the last 10 years, the use of this technique has expanded into intestinal surgery.

How Does Laparoscopic Surgery Work?

Laparoscopy is a type of surgery that involves smaller cuts than you might think. The laparoscope, a narrow piece of equipment with a tiny video camera and light on the end gives the procedure its name.

Surgical methods have advanced dramatically over time, and much newer, safer, and better surgical methods have emerged, improving the quality of life for surgical patients; one of them is laparoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is another name for it.

When a surgeon inserts the laparoscope into your body through a small cut, they can view what’s inside you on a video display, where it’s better viewed up to 30 times, bigger, and with high definition. They’d have to construct a far larger opening if they didn’t have that equipment.

Laparoscopic approach is used for many surgeries. It has the advantages of less pain, less cutting of skin and tissue, fewer wound complications, quicker post-operative recovery, and a shorter duration of hospital stay.

Benefits

When compared to standard surgery, this method has various benefits. Because it necessitates less invasive:

  • Your scars are smaller.
  • You can leave the hospital sooner.
  • While the scars heal, you will have less pain and they will heal faster.
  • You can resume your regular activities sooner.
  • Internal scarring can be reduced.

If you have laparoscopic surgery, you may only need to stay in the hospital for less than 24 hours and recuperate in 4 to 7 days. A shorter hospital stay is also less expensive.

What kind of operations can laparoscopic surgery be used for?

The laparoscopic approach can be used for most intestinal procedures. Concerns about the safety of laparoscopic surgery have been raised in the past. Several studies involving hundreds of patients recently concluded that laparoscopic surgery is safer for certain types of abdominal surgery.

The following are some of the benefits of this treatment over open surgery:

  • Because the incision made is so much smaller than the big incision made for open surgery, the danger of bleeding during the operation is reduced. This lowers the chances of requiring a blood transfusion to compensate for blood loss.
  • The smaller incision also minimizes the likelihood of post-surgery pain and bleeding. Patients frequently require long-term pain management medication while the stitch line heals after a major incision. The post-surgical wound is substantially smaller, and the healing process is far less unpleasant than with open surgery.
  • The smaller incision also means that the scar left behind after surgery is smaller. The scar tissue that forms in cases where the surgical site is larger is more prone to get infected and vulnerable to herniation, especially in overweight and obese people.
  • When compared to open surgery, the exposure of internal organs to external pollutants is greatly minimized with laparoscopic surgery, lowering the risk of postoperative infection.
  • Because laparoscopic surgery heals so quickly, the amount of time spent in the hospital is considerably reduced. Most patients are discharged the same day or the next day, allowing them to resume their daily routines substantially sooner than they would after an open surgery operation.

Benefits for the patient

Laparoscopic surgery provides the advantage of avoiding big open wounds or incisions, resulting in less blood loss, pain, and discomfort for the patient. Because less anesthesia is necessary, patients experience fewer ill effects. Tissue trauma and blood loss are less likely with fine devices. In general, the rate of postoperative complications is lower. Performance of the operation within the body cavity avoids the cooling, drying, excessive handling, and retraction of internal organs associated with conventional ‘open’ techniques.

Laparoscopic surgery reduces the amount of direct contact between the surgeon and the patient, lowering the chance of the surgeon contracting a virus from the patient or vice versa. This is because sensitive tissues are not exposed to the operating room air for long periods. Surgeons can see the sick organ and its accompanying arteries and nerves better using video magnification. As a result, precise techniques can be undertaken during surgery to protect these tissues.

The ideal surgical option is laparoscopic surgery, which is beneficial in problems that may be addressed with minimally invasive medical techniques. The procedure is a very common and straightforward treatment, and it has fewer drawbacks and more advantages.

Laparoscopy enables the creation of a tailored treatment or surgical strategy by providing in-depth, realistic insights into the patient’s actual condition. Laparoscopy can also be used to treat minor ailments. As a result, laparoscopy can be utilized for both diagnostic and surgical procedures.

Finally, laparoscopic surgery has enabled us to do many of our surgeries in a method that produces excellent results while minimizing the disturbance and risk that standard surgery typically entails. This implies you’ll be able to heal faster and resume your normal routine.

Please contact us at VIDA If you have any questions about our laparoscopic procedures. We will be happy to help you know more about this procedure.

Revision After Gastric Bypass: Is It Possible?

Many people have experienced weight gain after going on a diet. People feel discouraged with dieting alone as a treatment for obesity because of the up-and-down weight swings. In this instance, weight loss surgery may appear to be an ideal solution. It’s easy to believe that permanently altering the size of your stomach will solve your weight gain concerns.

This choice is decided on a case-by-case basis. It is possible to fix or redo the treatment with rescue gastric bypass surgery or a gastric bypass revision. It is possible to gain weight after Roux-En-Y or mini-gastric bypass surgery, and there are treatment alternatives available. One of the rates of bypass revision 18-20 making the pouch smaller or removing it, or in the pouch-intestine connection anastomosis if it’s very wide or increases malabsorption shortening the common limb.

What is a gastric bypass revision?

Any procedure to rectify a failed gastric bypass surgery is known as gastric bypass revision. This could entail shrinking the stomach, having an additional rewiring of the gastric-intestinal track, or wearing an adjustable band. After gastric bypass, the procedure can address excessive weight gain.

Some people may be wary about corrective surgery because of the cost and length of their first gastric bypass operation. However, the success rates of gastric bypass revisions are sufficient to continue the weight loss journey.

Who is eligible for a gastric bypass revision?

Only those who have already undergone bariatric surgery are eligible for revision surgery. The gastric pouch, for example, can stretch out over time and become less effective in controlling calorie intake in gastric bypass. A doctor can perform revision surgery to restore the gastric pouch to its previous size, allowing the patient to continue reducing weight.

Almost everyone who undergoes bariatric surgery loses a significant amount of weight right after. This is due in part to the restricted diet you’ll be on while your new stomach heals. You will be on a diet even after you are back on solid foods, which could be weeks or months following surgery.

Though your new stomach is significantly smaller following surgery, your stomach pouch can stretch over time. The gastric pouch can be stretched for two reasons. It might happen spontaneously as your body adjusts to the new digestive tract configuration, or it can happen because of overeating.

Can weight regain be managed with bariatric revision?

Don’t be concerned if you’ve gained weight following a bariatric treatment. There are options available to help you stop weight gain. Just like gastric bypass, bariatric revision surgery is not something that happens by surprise. The bariatric surgeon who performed your original surgery will be working with you during your follow-up appointments to see if you are tolerating the initial surgery well.

Bariatric surgery reduces the size of the stomach, and most bariatric revision options aim to restore your gastric pouch to its smaller size. The surgical alternatives available to you will be determined by the type of weight reduction surgery you had before, and the weight loss goals you desire.

How do you know if you are eligible for revision?

There are other types of bariatric surgery that have revision procedures. Sleeve gastrectomies can be treated with a sleeve revision, which returns your gastric sleeve to its original size. Due to the relatively prevalent nature of the initial treatment, gastric bypass revision has various alternatives as such it can be changed to bypass, mini bypass, or duodenal switch.

Any of these bariatric revisions will need to meet your specific weight loss goals, and other considerations such as your base metabolic rate and physical condition, just like the initial operation. Some types of gastric bypass revision can be done endoscopically as an alternative to standard or even laparoscopic surgery in gastric bypass surgeries.

Only those who have already undergone bariatric surgery are eligible for revision surgery. The gastric pouch, for example, can stretch out over time and become less effective in controlling calorie intake in gastric bypass. A doctor can perform revision surgery to restore the gastric pouch to its previous size, allowing the patient to continue reducing weight.

Also, patients who are more persistent about following their doctor’s advice to live a healthy lifestyle with less weight regain had higher success rates after revision procedures. Bariatric surgery and revision surgery are merely weight-loss tools. If the correct lifestyle modifications are not made, weight gain can begin again.

Gastric Sleeve vs Gastric Bypass

You may be considering bariatric surgery if you’ve struggled to reach and maintain a healthy weight or if you suffer from obesity-related health problems. When combined with a comprehensive weight-loss program, bariatric surgery is extremely effective.

Since there is more than one option for Bariatric Surgery we’ll explain the difference between Gastric Sleeve and Gastric Bypass.

It can not only facilitate you in losing weight, but it can also assist in the improvement or complete elimination of obesity-related conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.  Gastric bypass and gastric sleeve are two of the most successful types of bariatric surgery. While both procedures can result in significant weight loss within 1-2 years of surgery, there are some differences.

What’s the difference between these two surgeries?

Gastric sleeve surgery

The surgeon permanently removes about 80% of your stomach during gastric sleeve surgery. What’s left is packed into a stomach tube. There are no other changes.

Gastric bypass surgery

During this procedure, a small portion of the stomach is isolated, and the end of the small intestine is connected to the new stomach pouch, rerouting food around a large portion of the digestive system.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

Is there a difference in recovery?

Gastric bypass surgery is more time-consuming to perform than gastric sleeve surgery. This is because gastric bypass requires more modifications to the digestive system than the sleeve.  Both gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery are generally performed through laparoscopic surgery. To perform the surgery, lighted scope with a camera called a laparoscope and other tools are inserted through several small incisions in your abdomen. After gastric sleeve surgery, you should be able to return home in one or two days.

Who is a good candidate for this surgery?

CRITERIA GASTRIC BYPASS GASTRIC SLEEVE
BMI 40+ ✔️ ✔️
BMI 35-39.9 and additionally 2 or more related metabolic conditions ✔️ ✔️
Metabolic syndrome ✔️ ✔️

*Gastric sleeve is recommended to patients with metabolic syndrome

Do I need to make dietary changes?

YES. Dietary changes before and after either surgery are required. Dietary changes after gastric sleeve surgery and gastric bypass surgery are essentially the same.

Timeline:

  • You will need to be on a liquid diet for about 2 weeks after your surgery.
  • You will need to eat pureed food and soft food for the next 2 weeks, then  softer food.
  • You’ll be able to eat normal food 30 to 40 days after surgery. 

The size of your stomach pouch, which affects how much you can eat, is the most significant difference in your postoperative diet. The pouch created by either gastric sleeve or bypass surgery holds about 3 ounces.

Following are some important dietary guidelines to follow after your gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery:

  • Eat small portions and stop when you’re satisfied.
  • Thoroughly chew your food
  • Eat slowly and take time to digest 
  • Take vitamins and supplements that are recommended by your doctor
  • Drink enough water to stay hydrated
  • Avoid difficult-to-digest foods like tough meat and bread
  • Carbonated beverages should be avoided 

Over time, your stomach pouch will stretch. After bariatric surgery, it’s critical not to overeat because your pouch can stretch to allow you to regain the weight you lost.


What are the pros and cons?

Pros and cons of gastric sleeve surgery

PROS

  • Up to 65 percent of your excess body weight can be lost.
  • Compared to gastric bypass, recovery time is shorter.
  • Absorption of nutrients and vitamins is not impaired.
  • Dumping syndrome is not as common

CONS

  • In comparison to gastric bypass, less weight is lost.
  • It can’t be reversed 


Pros and cons of gastric bypass surgery

PROS

  • Up to 80% of your excess body weight can be lost.
  • Bypassing the small intestine, fewer calories are absorbed.
  • It is possible to reverse the process, though it is difficult.

CONS

  • Since it implies more anatomical changes, there’s a higher chance of complications.
  • Intestinal bypass causes nutrient and vitamin malabsorption, which can lead to deficiencies.
  • Dumping syndrome is more common.
  • Risk of internal hernias, intestinal obstruction, or ulcers.

A gastric sleeve is a procedure that involves removing a portion of the stomach. A gastric bypass involves the creation of a small gastric pouch and the rerouting of the small bowel. Because the small bowel is rerouted, it is more invasive than the sleeve. Have an open and honest discussion with your surgeon about your fears and your goals. You should walk away confident that you chose the best procedure for you.

DISCLAIMER

If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider.

Why Is Gastric Sleeve the Most Popular Bariatric Procedure?

A look at why the Gastric Sleeve has overtaken the Gastric Bypass as the most popular procedure in the world.

When you’re ready to go with weight loss surgery, you’ll need to select which operations are ideal for your lifestyle, weight loss goal, and overall health. Obesity can be treated by a variety of surgical procedures. Gastric bypass, gastric sleeve (sleeve gastrectomy), are the most frequent bariatric surgical treatments.

Weight loss is achieved through bariatric surgical procedures that restrict the amount of food your stomach can hold, resulting in weight loss, or through a combination of gastric restriction and malabsorption, which removes or bypasses parts of your digestive tract, making it harder for your body to absorb calories. Most weight loss procedures are done with minimally invasive methods.

Is the gastric sleeve the most popular weight loss procedure?

In the United States, the gastric sleeve, often known as a sleeve gastrectomy, is the most common bariatric treatment. It was formerly just a (very effective) first component of a broader duodenal switch treatment. The sleeve’s unexpectedly good results propelled it into the ranks of major surgical treatments, with most insurances, including Medicare, covering it.

But why is the gastric sleeve so popular?

The sleeve’s popularity stems from its ease of use, which provides various advantages to both the surgeon and the patient. First, the surgeon removes around 80% of the existing stomach pouch along the greater curvature, leaving something that looks like a banana or a sleeve, hence the name.

The stomach is completely removed from the abdomen, including the fundus. Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, is produced in large quantities here. Not only do we limit the amount of food that can be consumed in one sitting by removing this section of the stomach, but it has been proven that most patients also have a reduction in hunger, as they self-control their calorie consumption.

Patients, on the other hand, prefer the gastric sleeve because it has fewer limits and considerations than a gastric bypass. For one thing, because the small intestine is not rerouted, there is a considerably lower risk of vitamin and mineral shortages. Patients can also consume a more normal, albeit restricted, diet following surgery without concerns of dumping syndrome.

Is the gastric sleeve for everyone?

Choosing to have bariatric surgery is a tough and very personal decision. As a result, if you’ve done the first step, congratulations; this is a major and significant step forward for your health and life in general. Choose the best technique for you and commit to managing your food intake and exercise routines from that point onwards to lose weight and stay healthy.

To help you decide which surgery is right for you, we recommend visiting our website for more information on the subject. You can also schedule an initial consultation with us at VIDA Bariatrics to learn more about the process.

The following are some of the benefits of gastric sleeve surgery:

  • Causes rapid and considerable weight loss that is comparable to the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in comparison studies. Patients who have a gastric sleeve will lose about 60% of their excess weight
  • It helps you lose weight by limiting the amount of food you can eat at one time.
  • Removes the region of your stomach that produces the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin, which reduces your appetite and increases satiety.
  • An average excess weight loss of more than 50% is maintained.
  • Because digestion is not rerouted and the intestines are left intact, digestion proceeds normally, and nutritional deficits are minor after surgery.
  • Unlike gastric bypass surgery, dumping syndrome is unlikely to develop since your stomach exit, known as the pyloric valve, is intact.
  • Doesn’t require the implantation of a gastric band into the body, nor does it require adjustments or fills as gastric bands do.
  • Even on exceedingly obese patients, laparoscopic surgery is usually possible.
  • Effective in treating or preventing obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. For patients with certain health issues, it may also be safer than a combination of restrictive and malabsorptive weight loss surgery.
  • If additional weight loss is required, the procedure is less invasive and can be escalated to bypass or duodenal switch
  • There is a lower risk of ulcers than with gastric bypass surgery.
  • This procedure requires a hospital stay of less than 24hrs.
  • Often a less expensive weight loss procedure than gastric bypass.

Patient risk is reduced with minimally invasive bariatric surgery, such as possible long-term complications, malnourishment, intestinal obstruction, or internal hernias.

Several small abdominal incisions are used to execute a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The surgery takes around 30 to 40 minutes, since it’s an ambulatory procedure, patients are usually admitted for a hospital stay of less than 24 hours. Minimally invasive procedures reduce post-operative pain, blood loss, and scarring, lowering patient risk and speeding recovery.

Why is Gastric Sleeve Surgery the Best Bariatric Procedure?

Gastric sleeve bariatric surgery is becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason. The gastrointestinal anatomy is not rearranged in the gastric sleeve, commonly known as vertical sleeve gastrectomy or vertical gastrectomy. This fact mitigates many of the risks associated with other bariatric procedures such as the gastric bypass.

The operation is quite effective in treating morbid obesity. The procedure has an 80 percent success rate. Patients who get the surgery can expect long term weight loss of 60% of their excess body weight within a year.

Aside from the significant weight loss, one of the best advantages of surgery is that numerous comorbidities such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and cholesterol tend to improve quickly following surgery.

Patients also enjoy that, when compared to other procedures like gastric bypass, the gastric sleeve has fewer dietary issues, with similar metabolic changes as in a bypass. Patients may become ill because of these consequences if they consume sweets or processed carbs. There is also a lower danger of vitamin shortage following surgery, and no foreign objects are inserted into the body, as with gastric banding. Overall, a gastric sleeve enhances a patient’s quality of life by reducing hunger and the desire to overeat.

Bariatric surgery is an option to help you reduce weight and improve your health overall. If you’re considering bariatric surgery, including the gastric sleeve, give us a call to set up a consultation with us at VIDA Bariatrics.

How Can a Gastric Plication Help You Lose Weight?

What Is Gastric Plication?

Gastric plication is a type of bariatric surgery that helps people lose weight. It’s a restrictive procedure, which means it shrinks the stomach. This reduces the amount of food you can eat at once and helps you feel fuller sooner. It does not entail gastric banding, stomach stapling, or bypassing the stomach, unlike other bariatric surgeries. To lower the size of the stomach, the surgeon creates large folds.

At VIDA, we have the latest state-of-the-art equipment for this procedure. Laparoscopic gastric plication is a less invasive weight-loss surgery technique that decreases the stomach capacity to about 3 ounces. It’s a restrictive weight-loss operation, which means that the amount of food the stomach can hold is limited. You’ll feel full faster and won’t want to eat as much, which will help you lose weight.

There’s no need for an implanted device in this procedure (such as gastric banding). Because a piece of the stomach is not removed, unlike the gastric sleeve treatment, gastric plication may be reversible because a portion of the stomach is not removed. Furthermore, unlike gastric bypass, gastric plication does not require the intestines to be rerouted and connected.

The techniques used in a gastric plication procedure by our certified medical team, result in a speedier recovery and less scarring than open surgery. Patients can return to work and routine activities in seven to ten days depending on their recovery duration.

Advantages of gastric plication

  • There’s no rerouting of the intestines as in gastric bypass surgery.
  • It does not entail putting a band around a section of the stomach.
  • As with gastric banding, no changes are required.
  • Unlike a sleeve gastrectomy or a gastric bypass, this procedure may be reversible.

What’s the purpose of getting a gastric plication?

If you meet the following criteria your doctor may consider gastric plication surgery:

  • Your BMI (body mass index) is 30 or more, indicating that you are overweight. This is lower than most bariatric surgeries, which are for individuals with morbid obesity with a BMI of 40 or above. Obesity-related health concerns with a BMI of 35.
  • You’ve tried less invasive methods but still haven’t lost enough weight : Diet, exercise, behavioral therapy and medical weight loss with medications are all examples of this.
  • You’ve shown that you’re serious about reducing weight, improving your health, and adopting long-term lifestyle changes.
  • This includes making long-term changes to your food, exercise routine, and behavior. Accepting a lifelong need to limit food portions and adjust food preferences will also be required.

Obesity-related health problems can be reduced by bariatric surgery and lifestyle adjustments in general.

  • Breast, colon, kidney, liver, ovarian, pancreatic, and thyroid cancers are among the most common cancers.
  • Gallbladder disease and kidney disease are symptoms of fatty liver disease.
  • Heart disease, high blood pressure, excessive cholesterol, and stroke are all risk factors for stroke.
  • Osteoarthritis and other types of discomfort.
  • Diabetes type 2.

How’s gastric plication performed?

In a hospital, doctors use general anesthesia to execute gastric plication. To put you in a deep sleep, a combination of intravenous (IV) medications and gases is administered. You won’t feel any pain during the process because you’ll be sleeping.

Gastric plication is a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure. It entails creating 5 to 6 abdominal incisions. To execute the operation, your doctor will put small surgical instruments through the incisions. Your doctor will use these instruments to make large stomach folds and structure them in place. The stomach folds diminish the size of your stomach by roughly 70%, it takes 1 to 2 hours to complete the process.

There will be no stapling or cutting of your stomach. As a result, the technique is reversible and can be converted to another procedure in the future.

What to expect of your gastric plication?

On the day of your procedure, here’s what to expect. This is what happens on the day of your operation in general:

  • Your doctor will review your preoperative test and findings, ensure that all essential documentation is completed, and maybe perform a brief physical examination.
  • Your medical history will be discussed with our medical team.
  • Before they transport you to the operating room, the surgical team will give you a sedative to help you relax.
  • After the surgery, you’ll wake up in our recovery area. Where your doctor will indicate if you need to stay or if you can return home.

What should I do to get ready for a gastric plication procedure?

In general, you can prepare for surgery by doing the following:

  • Having a good understanding of your health and medical history.
  • List all your medications, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins, as well as any drug allergies you have.
  • As recommended, no eating or drinking before surgery. If you eat or drink too soon before your operation, your doctor may decide to postpone it.
  • If you smoke, quit as soon as possible to aid in your recovery after surgery.
  • Taking or discontinuing drugs according to the instructions. Your doctor will provide you with detailed advice on how to take your medications and supplements.

What should I expect following a gastric plication procedure?

It’s easier to plan and prepare for a good recovery when you know what to expect. Our patients who have this procedure lose weight in a similar way to those who have a gastric bypass procedure. In the first 6 to 12 months, patients will lose the majority of their excess weight (about 70%). In most people, full weight loss occurs within two years, and in some cases much sooner.

A gastric plication procedure takes a fraction of the time that most other weight-loss procedures do. Unlike lap band surgery, there will be no need to implant a medical device into the body, and no section of your stomach will be removed. Instead, stitches are used to shrink the stomach in a non-invasive procedure. Because the section of the stomach that controls this function will stay intact, your body will be able to absorb nutrients. If a complication occurs, gastric sleeve plication surgery can be reversed, whereas gastric sleeve surgery cannot. When a surgeon performs gastric sleeve surgery, a considerable section of the stomach is removed, and the procedure cannot be reversed.

How long will the recovery period take?

This surgery will make your stomach smaller, but it will still send a message to your brain alerting your body that your stomach is full far sooner than it would without it. The ghrelin-producing section of the stomach will not be eliminated, but because the stomach is considerably smaller, patients will feel full much sooner, allowing for consistent and long-term weight loss.

Here at VIDA Bariatrics, you can get an appointment with our medical team and certified, specialized surgeons, so you can know what’s the best method for your situation. You can learn everything you need to know about what to expect from a gastric plication surgery. Our experts at VIDA Bariatrics can answer all your concerns and assist you in making the best option when it comes to determining which operation will best help you achieve your weight-loss objectives.