2007

Jun 16, 2009

9/6/07 -- I have been avoiding this post for some time now. Despite my intentions stated above to get a handle on my weight regain -- I have failed and am now up to 195 pounds! I no longer get a feeling of restriction and while I still cannot eat huge quantities of food at one time, within a short time of eating, I am hungry again.

I have been reading about this new procedure "Stomophyx" (a non-surgical revision to gastric bypass) that was just approved by the FDA in May of this year. It is a done endoscopically, so there is no surgery, or cutting involved. The technique uses an instrument that reduces the size of the pouch and the stoma through inserting sutures or "clips" that gather (think drawstring bag) the stoma and pouch. Only 50 of these procedures have been done in the US since approved.

I went to see the only surgeon in the Northeast (Dr Shawn Garber) doing these revisions last week (he has done 20 of the 50), and he thinks I would be an ideal candidate for this. He believes I can lose between 30-45 pounds from this procedure, as it will give me back the restrictive feeling that I no longer get. Insurance, of course is not covering as it is considered "too experimental" -- total out of pocket cost would be $9,000 of which $3,500 is the surgeon fee, and the balance is hospital, OR and anesthesia.

After meeting with Dr Garber, I had an endoscopy done which measured the size of the pouch and the stoma. It indicated that although my pouch has stretched somewhat, it is not out of normal ranges, however, my stoma was initially made larger than most RNYs, and has stretched even more, allowing food to empty from my pouch quickly, causing me increased hunger.

I have scheduled myself for the Stomophyx procedure on October 23rd at Mercy Hospital in NY.

Here is a description of the Stomophyx procedure for those that are interested:

A pediatric size endoscope (through the mouth) has a teeny pincher type ending. Imagine that it does a "grab, pull in and fasten" type of motion. A row of this pleating (aka placating or quilting) is done at the Stoma (entrance to the lower intestine where the food leaves your pouch) and closes the stoma in considerably. This will hold the food in longer . A second higher row is done to the pouch which creates a much smaller pouch; described as about 2 oz by some. This of course would limit the amount that someone could eat. So, the results are: FULL faster - FULL longer!

The results have been pretty successful across the U.S. but there are of course no long term studies. Stomaphyx was only adopted in the U.S. by the FDA in the spring and earliest patients were around June. To date, there are only TWELVE certified Bariatric surgeons who are doing Stomaphyx. I'm sure many others will follow but I know the company (EndoGastricSolutions) is limiting the training so that it doesn't get out of control. They are trying to keep the level of excellence very high! You can go to their website to get the current list of certified surgeons. http://www.endogastricsolutions.com

The fasteners are not harmful at all to our bodies as they eventually may fall off. They work like staples or sutures and hold the tissues together until it heals in that fashion. Because it is a type of pleating, it will stretch a bit to allow for solids eventually but liquids are recommended for as long as 3 weeks post-op so that pressure doesn't undo the fasteners. Stretching is not expected to occur again because the tissue has somewhat lost it's elasticity from the original weight loss surgery.

11/14/07 -- I lost 8 pounds in the first week after Stomophyx and have not lost anymore as of yet -- primarily cause I'm still taking in too many calories daily. Although I'm not feeling enormous physical hunger, the head hunger is still rampant. Goes to show once again, that despite the mechanical breakdown in my tool, my main problem is "between the ears."

11/21/07 -- Today is my 51st birthday. I have lost only 9 pounds since my Stomophyx and it is not the easy "fix" that I thought it would be. However, I must remember that this is only a tool, and even when it is not easy, I must follow the rules of the pouch and it will still work. So, I'm trying again.

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