32 french bougie?

How many surgeons are using this size bougie? I started my DS with a 3oz stomach because of prior band scarring and now can eat basically like a thin person eats.... but.. I am just curious for someone else....seems like a smaller bougie would be pretty necessary since the VSG doesn't kick in the malabsorption and since the stomach will stretch over time......

My surgeon used a 34 fr with an inverted overstich which nets out to about 32 fr. My sleeve is tight, tight, tight. Great restriction, working like a charm.

My surgeon will be doing a 34 bougie. I was shown a relative size of it and it was really small compared to what the normal stomach is.  I found one of our members, Carmelita,  wrote a good guide on bougies... http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/carmelita/blog/2011/03/

aww...thanks!   someone actually READ it!!...all for NOT!  ..... I appreciate the shout out!

Hey Kila how big is your bougie?  edited:  Are they still using LARGER bougies to make DS-VSG stomachs  or are you guys noticing a trend to smaller YET bougie guides?


Yeah 32F  in VSG is  pretty much standard now in U.S. and Mexico

My surgeon does bougies based on individual but 32F is routinely used. I requested and received a 34F after reading published journals on 32F bougies and the higher incidence of post op related GERD and later come to find out increased incidence of LEAKS!

Its serves me extremely well.  I have the exact same restriction at 3 yrs out that I had at 6 months out.
Outside the normal dilation due to reduced swelling/inflammation our "normal" new stomachs
won't stretch much at all.  Least Ive never ever seen a published report, journal, article inc a size comparison, claim so. It ALWAYS is anecdocatal...so far anyway!
 
Perhaps this link might help. Addresses STRETCHING in VSG, BOUGIES sizes and STUDIES of various sizes 6 months to 5 years POST OP.

BOUGIE in VSG
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/carmelita/blog/tag/bougie+ in+vsg/

No difference whatsoever this bougie **** on our weight loss...32, 50, 60, 100  YOUR WEIGHT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SIZE OF YOUR STOMACH ...altered or NOT
what gives us a fightin chance on obesity forever...is RESTRICTION and LOSS OF GHRELIN  period.

I don't really know what size bougie Dr. Baltasar used - or even if he used one...lol. It was in '05 and since he did my revision open and removed the band, I think he just made it as small as he could with my scar tissue, he said he had aimed to make it 2oz but ended up with about 3oz. My common channel (DS speak) was 65cm, so the malabsorption has served me well at 6 years out.

Thanks for the response, Carmelita, and I'll take a look at your bougie guide. I'm not sure if the VSG is the best step for this someone with only, really, about 30-40lbs, though I know it would make such a difference in their life and give relief to some co-morbs or potential future co-morbs.....darn genetics make weight such a battle

Tch..it is so tough for 'lightweights'...They gotta get sicker before they can get better.....IF they want insurance covered WLS that is. Many will self pay n head out to Mejico for that very reason. No hoops to jump! Crazy ass "health" care system we have here!..thank goodness NIH (the Feds) have WLS criteria otherwise ins folks would all be SOL!

Hope yer friend can stop this runaway train or self-pay before s/he gets older and fatter and sicker like
I got!

BE WELL Kila!

Thank you for writing it.

That's what my surgeon used according to both my direct question to him and the operative report.