Bariatric Surgery

What is a bariatric surgery?

There are different techniques to lose weight, each method meant for different patient’s profile. Some procedures are very invasive, for example the gastric ring is considerably painful. The type of bariatric surgery that we offer is the gastric plication.

Gastric plication is a new procedure that has shown very positive results. In this procedure, the stomach is surgically folded so that is it becomes a fraction of what it was. As a result, the stomach needs less food and the patient consumes less calories, leading to weight loss. It is important to note that the patient will have to follow a diet before and after the procedure, depending on the doctor’s recommendations.

As opposed to other procedures like the gastric sleeve, the gastric ring or the gastric bypass, gastric plication requires no cuts, brackets or adjustments. For all these reasons, gastric plication is an interesting alternative for patients looking to lose weight efficiently and safely.

How does the procedure go?

Gastric plication is conducted with a laparoscopy. This procedure does not demand long incisions in the abdomen. Instead, the surgeon makes a small incision in which he will insert a small camera along with different medical instruments intended for the procedure. These extremely precise instruments permit to conduct the operation in a way that minimizes negative side effects for the patient. A laparoscopy permits a speedy recovery and lowers risks of complications. The total length of the procedure is somewhere between 1 hour and 1h30m.
This procedure is conducted under general anesthesia. An anesthetist is present during the whole procedure to assure the patient’s well being.

Gastric plication benefits

• No cuts or brackets on the stomach and no part of the stomach is removed
• Long term risks are minimal
• Speedy Recovery
• Completely reversable
• Hunger is reduced leading to natural weight loss
• Procedure is very affordable

Who can have a gastric plication?

This procedure is not suited for everybody. We do not recommend this procedure for patients suffering of morbid or sever obesity. Gastric plication was conceived specifically for patients desiring a weight loss of 25 to 45 kilos or those having a body mass index over 45 kilos.
This procedure is conducted under general anesthesia. An anesthetist is present during the whole procedure to assure the patient’s well being.

Recovery

Patients having had gastric plication will most likely leave the clinic the same day of the procedure and go back to normal activity a week later. Some side effects, like nausea can be felt within 24 hours after the procedure as the body gets used to the stomach’s new ingestive capacity. A liquid diet is required during the first 2 or 3 weeks after the procedure while reintroducing solid foods gradually.

Gastric plication diet

The surgeon or dietician will give the patient a special diet to follow before the procedure, along with a list of foods and liquids to avoid. After the procedure, the patient will have a gradual transition back to an regular diet. A liquid diet is required during the first 2 or 3 weeks after the procedure while reintroducing solid foods gradually. A nutritionist along with a psychologist will follow up with the patient before and after the surgery, providing all the necessary information and support. The nutritionist will also follow up with the patient to give advices about what to eat or avoid to keep a balanced diet.
While it is enough to keep a balanced diet for a succesful procedure, it is important for the patient to eat enough and well. The procedure is meant for the patient to live a new healthy lifestyle that allows weight loss.

Potential procedure risks

As with any surgery, laparoscopy is associated with some risks. The most common risks are: bleedings or infections, organ damage or leak from the suture used in the procedure. It is important, to note that these complications are very rare and happen in less than 1% of cases.
The results associated with this procedure are very satisfying. In fact, patients have noticed weight loss for the 3 years following the procedure and then kept a stable weight. All depending on the initial weight of the patient, a weight loss between 40 and 70% can be expected in the first year following the procedure. In addition, in 75% of cases, other problems related to obesity like diabitis, hypertension or high cholesterol to name a few, have shown signs of improvement in the first year following the procedure.