Weight loss surgery trends in Thailand are gearing towards finding the most minimally invasive treatments in a short holiday or medical vacation. After the success of other bariatric surgeries such as lapband and RnY, comes the new laparoscopic gastric plication surgery that is also known as the greater curvature plication. This type of surgical intervention offers another type of restrictive bariatric surgery that tackles the issue of weight loss by addressing the culprit from within – the stomach.

Stomach Folding

In its most literal sense, gastric plication involves folding of stomach walls to prevent it from burgeoning.  The size of the stomach is accountable for appetite, because as long as there’s space, there will be craving.  And by addressing that through surgical adjustments, the issue can be resolved. Typically after gastric plication surgery in Thailand the stomach capacity will be reduced to 10% of its original size helping in your bodysculpting process.

The simplest analogy to this is adjusting a dress.  When you have one that is slightly larger than your frame, by stitching the sides, it becomes smaller and fits your frame perfectly.  Same thing goes for gastric plication.  The stomach wall is folded inward, sutured in place to keep it secure and eventually reduces the stomach volume in half or even more.  This reduction leaves not enough space for food storage.  The body then identifies it as fullness because stomach volume is diminished, and this translates to eventual weight loss.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Vs. Gastric Plication

In gastric bypass surgery, cutting and stapling of stomach tissue is involved.  A part of the stomach is actually snipped off permanently to make the stomach smaller.

With Gastric plication or GP, there’s no permanently cutting nor stapling, and this seems to be a better option because there is tissue preservation and much less downtime needed.  GP is also a more flexible procedure because it is reversible.  Another advantage is that you can have your stomach reduced even further if you wish to do so at a later date.

The Plication Procedure and Post-Op Diet

Our Thai Bariatric surgeons are internationally trained experts and have performed hundreds of successful bariatric surgeries in Bangkok and Phuket Thailand. The surgical procedure requires the use of a laparoscope that is inserted through small abdominal incisions (about five or six) where thin instruments shall pass through.  Our doctors will then inserts the laparoscope (video camera), which provides visual accessibility to the stomach.  In the event that laparoscopy is not feasible, they may resort to open surgery.  This could be necessary for some patients due to other risk factors such as bleeding, infection, clots or involvement of other organs as the procedure goes on.  You shouldn’t worry too much however, if this is the case, our surgeons will inform you of all the details prior to starting any weightloss surgery procedure.

The procedure actual surgery only takes about two hours and will require you to be admitted to on of our accredited hospitals for 1-2 days.  Some side effects of Plication surgery include,Nausea and minor discomfort. This is normal and can be expected in the ensuing your surgery.

Recovery and Gastric Plication Side effects

Recovery will be immediate for as long as you adhere to the post-operative measures we give you.  Note that, in terms of your diet and appetite, you will feel a sense of suppression along the way as you eat and that’s your period of adjustment.  If you were used to eating a lot, this will certainly be a huge change in eating habits.

It might not seem obvious during the first two weeks as you will be advised to stick to a liquid diet for your stomach to adjust to its new shape and size.  As it takes in fluid, it makes your body aware of its capacity and how much it can hold to keep you full and nourished.  This is an essential “training” stage because even if your goal is weight loss and you want that to happen soonest, bear in mind the more crucial health factor – which is to still take in nutritious food to keep your body nourished with essential nutrients, even without taking too much food.

Ideal Candidates for Gastric Plication Surgery ( GPS )

Men and Women with a simple to moderate case of obesity and those having a BMI (body mass index) of more than 35 or suffering from other related conditions such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure or diabetes are all ideal candidates for gastric plication.  Since these conditions are brought about by obesity and the excess weight or fat in the body, gastric plication can definitely aid in the alleviation of the said conditions. Sometime, gastric surgery may not even be needed. We also offer fantastic non-surgical and surgical weight loss alternatives such as using minimally invasive liposuction such as Smart Laser Lipo, Vaser or BodyTite. If those methods alone are not enough, they may be combined with Tummy Tucks for a full body weightloss vacation in as little as 10-14 nights.

Bariatric surgery may or may not be ideal for your specific condition.  Nevertheless, we urge you to take the first stem and contact us for a no-obligation virtual consultation. Once our team of bariatric surgeons has looked at your needs and addressed any other medical issues that could be contributory to the success or failure of the procedure we will be able to provide you with specifics on your treatment including actual prices, multiple area discounts,packages and much much more. So what are you waiting for? Contact us today for more details about GPS Gastric Plication surgery today.