LAPAROSCOPIC GASTRIC PLICATION (LGCP)

The Laparoscopic Gastric Plication or Laparoscopic Greater Curvature Plication (LGCP) involves sewing one or more large folds in your stomach. During the LGCP, Advanced BMI Surgeons will reduce the volume of your stomach by 70% which makes the stomach able to hold less and will help you eat less.

There is no cutting, stapling, or removal of the stomach or intestines during the Gastric Plication. The Gastric Plication may potentially be reversed or converted to another procedure if needed. The Gastric Plication procedure is minimally invasive and takes approximately one hour to complete. Most patients stay in the hospital for 1-2 days after the procedure.

Who

is

candidate

for

Laparoscopic

Gastric

Plication?

You have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40. You have a BMI of over 35 with obesity related health conditions such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and other obesity related conditions. You are unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period of time, even through medically-supervised dieting.

More Information about Gastric Plication

There are several types of bariatric (surgical weight loss) procedures. Some procedures like laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy restrict the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and others bypass segments of the intestines to limit the absorption of calories like Roux-en-y gastric bypass. Laparoscopic Gastric Plication is a restrictive procedure that reduces the size of the stomach and limits food intake. This procedure is also referred to as Laparoscopic Greater Curvature Plication (LGCP).

How Is Gastric Plication Performed? We perform the Gastric Plication as a laparoscopic procedure. This involves making five or six small incisions in the abdomen and performing the procedure using a video camera (laparoscope) and long instruments that are placed through these small incisions. Laparoscopic Gastric Plication, involves sewing one or more large folds in your stomach. During the Laparoscopic Gastric Plication the stomach volume is reduced about 70% which makes the stomach able to hold less and may help you eat less. There is no cutting, stapling, or removal of the stomach or intestines during the Gastric Plicaiton. The Gastric Plication may potentially be reversed or converted to another procedure if needed. The Gastric Plication procedure is minimally invasive and takes approximately one to two hours to complete. Most patients stay in the hospital for 1-2 days after the procedure.

How Does Gastric Plication Cause Weight Loss? Gastric Plication is a restrictive procedure. It greatly reduces the size of your stomach and limits the amount of food that can be eaten at one time. It does not cause decreased absorption of nutrients or bypass your intestines. After eating a small amount of food, you will feel full very quickly and continue to feel full for several hours. Gastric Plication may also cause a decrease in appetite.

Who is a candidate for Laparoscopic Gastric Plication? The Laparoscopic Gastric Plication procedure is relatively new, and considered investigational as a primary procedure for weight loss. Currently,

insurance companies do not cover the Gastric Plication Procedure. Therefore, patients are required to self-pay for the procedure.

What Are The Risks Of Laparoscopic Gastric Plication? There are risks that are common to any laparoscopic procedure such as bleeding, infection, injury to other organs, or the need to convert to an open procedure. There is also a small risk of a leak from the suture line used to imbricate/plicate ("fold") the stomach. These problems are rare and major complications occur less than 1% of the time.

What are the benefits of Laparoscopic Gastric Plication? Depending on their pre-operative weight, patients can expect to lose between 40% to 70% of their excess body weight in the first year after surgery. Many obesity-related comorbidities improve or resolve after bariatric surgery. Diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and abnormal cholesterol levels are improved in more than 75% of patients undergoing a bariatric procedure. Though long-term studies are not yet available, the weight loss that occurs after Gastric Plication results in significant improvement in these medical conditions in the first year after surgery.

Is Laparoscopic Gastric Plication A Good Choice For Me? Your surgeon may talk to you about Gastric Plication as an option if you have a high BMI with one or more significant co-morbid medical conditions which are generally expected to be improved, reversed, or resolved by weight loss. You should discuss all of the available surgical procedures with your surgeon and determine which procedure is best for you.