ENDOSCOPIC GASTRIC SLEEVE.

I had my gastric band removed after 15 years last October and am gaining weight. Because of my age 68, my surgeon will only do the Endoscopic Gastric sleeve on me. This involves suturing the stomach and not cutting it.

It seems to be a new procedure. Has anyone here had it done and how are things going?

It's going to cost mr £10K which I don't mind if it works. This is in the UK.

Look forward to any replies or advices.

I had never heard of it, so I looked it up. Apparently, it is a fairly new procedure that has only been performed on humans for about a year and a half.

However, I am quite intrigued by the concept and the fact that it can be done without incisions and can be revised more than once, if needed.

I am 64 now, and actually, if that had been one of my options when I had my sleeve in 2013, I would have gotten the endoscopic procedure. Totally new concept!

It is NOT a sleeve. Not even close and hunger hormones are not removed. Google POSE method and you will have more info. It looks very appealing at first (especially for the endoscopy part) , but after talking to a couple of surgeons, they did not recommend it for morbidly obese patient like me.

This looks very promising as another WLS- type option. It appears it is for low bmi.

I'm wondering more about this if I ever have to revise from my band. It is nice to think there may be less invasive and cheaper options!

I will keep investigating.

No, it's not a sleeve, nothing is removed. From my understanding it's kind of like a whole bunch of mini plications from the inside. A few things bother me about the procedure that would make me not want to choose it for myself.....

1) it's marketed for people wanting to lose 20-50 pounds. I had way more than that to lose

2) it doesn't even come close to providing the restriction that VSG or bypass does. Or even as much as the lapband did for those of you looking at revision.

3) it leaves a whole bunch of folds in your stomach held together with anchoring devices. Who's to say all those little anchors won't erode through your stomach just like the lapband has done. This potentially leaves the patient susceptible to ulceration and even perforation several years down the line.

4) it just hasn't been around long enough to know all of its results, both good and bad. This is the main reason I went with the sleeve. They've been doing gastrectomies for over 100 years, with dozens (if not hundreds) of followup studies, so there weren't going to be any "surprises" by choosing VSG.

I looked into this between a year and two years ago. I could not find a surgeon in the US or Mexico to do it. If you are self pay and want "real surgery" you have many affordable choices through Medical Tourism. I know there are many countries in Europe that offer it. Even a trip Mexico would not be out of reach by any means with your quite of 10,000 pounds for the endoscopic "gastric sleeve". You can get almost surgery done in Mexico for under $5,000which is somewhere between 3 and 4,000 pounds (not sure of current exchange rate). Bariatric Pal has GREAT surgeons and you couldn't be in better hands if you do think about medical tourism. By the way many Drs will consider surgery on someone of your age. Ask me how I know ! LOL. Good luck.

Thank all of you guys for all the well informed information. I really do appreciate it all and the points made by Kindle reflect my own reservations.

My surgeon who is a top bariatric guy will only do this as his anaesthetist vetoes anything else.

Mountain girl please tell me more about the age thing!

I'm really pleased with the help you have all given.

There are several on this forum in or near their 60s who had an actual sleeve. @@proudgrammy or@vsgann2012 might have some info to share. I don't understand why POSE is less risky on the anesthesia. Sleeve surgery is about 1-2 hours, right? Mine was under 2 hours and he was dealing with scar tissue from my band. Band was removed and scar tissue addressed 3months prior, but it is still trickier due to the damage done by the band.

I would not do the POSE based on the success rates I have read so far. Yes, sleeve lacks the long term research that bypass has, but these new procedures come and go and I don't want to be a guinea pig.

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Thanks Cowgirl. I'm sure you are right but the surgeon said if I had complication ie infection or leaking after surgery I would die!

I did have complications with the gastric band and was in hospital for a week and as it had blocked up this cost me a further 6K. With more surgery.Total cost in 2001 was £13K!!

It was a vile experience and is making me nervous.

Thank you for bringing this procedure up. I'm truly interested in following the success rates post op.... Wondering how many have been done thus far....

Time may tell ... And I'll be listening[emoji93]

After seeing advices on here I have contacted a different bariatric service who say they will do the gastric sleeve or bypass on me. My daughter who is a doctor is being negative and says I should follow the previous advices. I just don't know what to do for the best. My husband is anti surgery too but neither he or daughter have a weight problem.

Anyway I realise from the very helpful posts here that the Endoscopic sleeve will not work.

I am scheduled for the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty. Not POSE. I know of 3 different people (former co-workers) who have had this done. The results have been fantastic to say the least. 2 out of the 3 had a BMI of 36 & 38, the other 40. This is done as an out-patient procedure, healing time very quick. All were back to work in 3 days. I am certain Surgeons would not support this procedure as it is done by Gastroenterologists more specifically Advance Endoscopists. This does take patients away from the surgeons. In my opinion, I would rather have my stomach stitched than cut. If surgery was my only option I would probably do it. If this procedure fares well over time, and insurance companies start paying for it, it will be a far cheaper option for them and I think it will explode. With any procedure/surgery any of us do, we can all fail if we don't adapt to the lifetime choices we need to make. Nothing is 100% unless we work it.

I did some reading up on this. I couldn't find much in terms of results or issues since it is new but it's geared to people who are BMI 30-35 and have never had stomach surgery...darrn it - not for band revisions who have a low BMI. I hope it turns out to be a good procedure that works because I personally feel that bariatric surgery is drastic and really should be for higher BMI/serious co morbidities.

In my case, my BMI was 52 and is now about 24-25 (I am a muscular/big build woman, wear single digit clothing now even with 25BMI). For me, the risks of a sleeve (which I have), bypass or DS were worth it, but I don't think it would be if I was 30-50#overweight.

It's good to know that new options are becoming available - keeping fingers crossed it doesn't have some negative long term consequences. I was quite disappointed to find out how much my supposedly"reversible" lapband damaged my stomach and put me at higher risks when I was sleeved. (Luckily I had no complications but it was terrifying to know my risks of leaks and excess bleeding was about twice that of a virgin sleever)

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That's odd ... I was 68 when I had VSG (sleeve) surgery 20 months ago and have done GREAT with an easy recovery and no complications.

FYI, my heaviest pre-op BMI was 39. (I am 5'5" and weighed 235 pounds.) After my own and my surgeon's pre-op diets, my surgery weight was 216.

I've lost a total of 100 pounds and now weigh 135 pounds.

I know nothing about the POSE / endoscopic sleeve surgery at all. But I'm with others who think it wouldn't have the benefit of removing ghrelin (the hunger hormone) from the equation.

Whatever you choose, I hope you have as much success as I've had.

I'm looking at the chemical fix now as my daughter the doc has said the bypass and sleeve are too risky for me.

Forxiga is an oral frug that makes you pee out sugar. As a diabetic I can also have Byetta,Eraglotide and Bydurian. All injectable anoretics.

Cowgirl I agree that band patients should be warned about the damage it does over time. The terrible acidosis I had has gone since its removal but my surgeon said I was a mess re this when he operated.

I'm seeing my doc soon and hope to try Forxiga.