Anyone Size 48 Bougie?

Looking to see if anyone has or close to or over a 48?

I know someone in another thread said data showes bigger is not as good.

But I found this study which shows 60 patients with 48 lost 83.3% EWL.
Another line has 50 patients with 52 bougie who lost 52.8% EWL
23 with 48 and 57% EWL

Seems darn close to the 32 bougies.

Maybe I am reading the report wrong?

Marshall,
The fact that you keep looking for a way to be able to eat more means that you are not a good candidate for VSG.  Period.  If you required a psych evaluation to get your surgery, I think they would tell you this.

The larger the bougie, the greater the regain at year 3 and 4.  Now, maybe you are ok with the regain.  But if you want the weight to stay off, VSG is the wrong choice.  Diana wrote you a nice response about how to manage DS and be a high level professional with no embarassment.  I'd suggest you listen to her advice.

By this standard then anyone above 30 shouldn't have the surgery.

I have read that choosing the right size bougie is part of the proper planning. The fact that differing doctors use different sizes shows that it is a legitimate question.

Some you sound like to get VSG you first have to be able to already be eating healthy and tiny portions with all the self control.

If that were true then no one would need surgery. Unless you can do all this on your own you better now get it.

Well, I look at my case this way.  Most of the time I can eat pretty healthy, but with large portion sizes needed to feel full.  So feeling full sooner will be great for me.

Those times when I screw up, and lose the will to eat healthy, are the times that really worry me.  Right now, I can undo 2 months of dieting in 1 day!!  And my last 10 years have been like that.  Lose 30 or 40 pounds over the course of a year, have a health problem, and gain it back in under 2 months.

So I figure if having the VSG restricts the amount I eat during those times, maybe I will only gain 5 or 10 pounds.  And then it's easier to get back on track.

I did think about bougie size, and I'm not knocking you for thinking about it.  But you are repeatedly posting with questions that indicate you want to be able to eat more.  To me, that is an indication that you need malabsorption to be able to maintain weight loss.

In my case, I decided not to request a 34 or a 36 size because being able to eat more will make success more difficult to maintain.  You've gone from asking about asking about 34 and 36 to asking about 48.  It's clear that you want to eat more.  And that's not a good fit for restrictive surgery.

No, I don't think that's a true or fair statement.  I'm 32 years old (33 in July) and I accepted that to have a VSG I was going to be eating a LOT less.  I embraced it, albeit with many 2nd, 3rd, 1000th, thoughts :)  I'm still on the full liquid stage so maybe I'm not someone you want to hear from, but I know the panicked thoughts you're going through, I had them too.  I was never afraid of the surgery - I've had worse ones (well, ones I figured were worse, and I was right) in terms of post op pain and eating.  This frankly, so far, has been a breeze.  Not that I don't miss solid food; I do.  But I'm not freaking out wanting a Big Mac, chocolate bar, bag of chips every 10 seconds.  Of COURSE I've had mmm, I'd LOVE to go out to dinner tonight thoughts, but they quickly pass and I'm not consumed by them all day.  And I'm only 2 weeks out today! 

I did NOT change my eating habits before surgery (not really enough time and I wanted to enjoy my last several favorite meals).  I also cheated on the liquid pre op diet (and admitted it to my doc) which wasn't good.  But I have not (really) cheated post op.  My biggest "cheat" post op is having something that might be a LITTLE too thick to be considered a full liquid, but way too thin to be a mushie, so I had it.  But no solid food - though I did take a bite of hubby's pizza last night - to chew and spit out.  I wasn't really craving chewing or pizza, but I wanted to do it.  No desire to have more or cheat after that chew and spit out moment, and I'm good for a while now.  And I am someone with no real self control (still boggles my mind that I have quit smoking as long as I have right now!), I could never put down the bag of chips until I was either full (overstuffed, usually because I was having some an hour after dinner) or it was empty.

I honestly think that if you really truly are looking for ways to eat more, the DS is for you.  It wasn't for me - I didn't want the side effects you mention, I didn't want my intestines rerouted, I thought it was overkill for a lightweight and I wanted to change my eating habits for the better.  BUT that being said - if I didn't think I COULD (with the help of the VSG, never alone), I would've gotten the DS.  So - if you rationally think you can come to terms with the VSG lifestyle, go for it.  If not, suck it up, read as much as you can about how to deal with the DS lifestyle and get the DS.

If you want to talk more, PM me anytime :)

T :)

LINK? I have read anything that says the larger bougie menas more regain 3 or 4 later. I have seen the video where they talk about changing the way they do the VSG aftre the first 2 years.
If theres any scientific proof that The larger the bougie, the greater the regain at year 3 and 4 I would like to read it.

For the record I am not sure what size I have but if you read PilotPhils post I don't think it matters much, its still about working the tool and making the right choices food wise.

BTW Teri I don't think you should be telling AMrshall hes not a good canditat based on him researching adn trying to obtain as much info as possible, unless of course you're a trained MD or psychologist. again my opinion I am not a trained professional

Hi GoingMobile,
If you listen to the presentation, the doctor states that they think the fact that people 4 years out have significantly lower EWL is that they were using larger bougie sizes at the time they did those people.  They state that the results weren't what they hoped for, and that's why they started using 32.

The doctor also states that the difference in flow resistance probably makes a bigger difference than the difference in capacity.  I quoted that somewhere on this thread.

As for me telling Marshall, you are right.  I have no business doing it.  Marshall knows me by now, though.  I've commented on several of his threads and he hasn't blocked me. So I hope he thinks I've provided some useful information.  I'm really scared for him.  His surgery is next week.

I guess I'm acting toward him like I'd act toward someone in my family.  I hope he tells me to STFU if he doesn't like what I'm saying.

I am with you on this.  It isnt really my business, but I am scared for Marshell as well.  Everyone of his posts show some desire to get around the life style changes of this WLS.  I do get it.  I went through all this.  But he has a SURGERY DATE and is having these pretty intro questions and concerns.  If someone gets this surgery and are not prepared for change, they are in for some major issues and MAJOR buyers regret.  All the questions he is asking, IMO, should have been asked with his doctor or at least before he had set a date.  And its scary to me, for him, that he is having such major concerns.  This is what therapy is for.  And it is not a put down at all.  This is a MAJOR HUGE LIFE CHANGING DEAL!  If you need some talk therapy to work on your coping, then by all means do so before you have surgery.

My surgeon uses a 36.  He believes the 32 has a greater chance of stricture at the incisura angularis.  That's just one doc's opinion.  The study that I've seen with the larger bougie indicated that they originally used a larger bougie, but have since gone down to a smaller size.

My surgeon uses a 36 also, and for the same reasons.  All of the posts that I have read here say that there isn't much difference between 32 and 36, though.  I'm very happy with my results, and I have two friends that recommended my surgeon who had the surgery over 3 years ago, and they are still thin with no regain, so I'm hopeful.