Sleeve - re former post about stretchy part of stomach

ReginaKeat

I read on this blog about someone whose DR. had stated that if they took the stretchy part of the stomach instead of other areas; the stomach should not stretch out again as fast; as if they took other portions
I questioned my RN at the last meeting and she did not know anything about this. Can anyone shed some light on this.

I just had my 4th month assessment and will meet again for the 6 month consult then be put on the list. It is a longer process but according to the specialists It has a higher success rate due to increased monitoring.

grim_traveller

Doctors all pretty much remove the same areas. They can make the new stomach a little narrower or a little wider, but they remove the same parts. Narrower isn't always better, as it can lead to more complications, and they aren't pleasant.

Everone's stomach will stretch during the first two years or so, no matter what surgery they choose. It's a fact of life. And even if you have the tiniest stomach imaginable, you will still be able to gain weight by making poor choices.

These surgeries are really not about restriction. If restriction were all that was required, the band would be far more successful.

DJRonnieLINY

What you are referring to are a few generalities; the surgeon removes between 70 & 80% of the stomach. This will eliminate most if not all of the normal "stretchy" part of the stomach. Everyone will eventually end up with a different, unique, capacity. Over the first year as you heal and move to a more normal diet your capacity will go (read stretch) from about 2 ounces to about 8 ounces. After that you can "stretch out" your stomach and hamper your progress by continually eating past "full" This is not a rapid happening like when we used to eat too much and bloated out but a gradual increase caused by over stuffing.

This stretching will not happen by having the occasional "over full" meal but by doing this meal after meal. It's reccomended that if you feel you ate a bit too much then make the next meal a bit smaller. It is also reccomended that you weigh and measure your food forever so you can avoid these problems.

I am 9 months out and have had a consistant capacity of between 8 and 9 ounces for a few months now. I weigh everything and aim for 8 ounces for every meal. I also try to recognize full and stop even if I weighed the food out.

pawoodhull

I was terrified of "restretching" my sleeved stomach. My doctor told me he had removed all the stretchy part, so I would not be able to "restretch" it as you can with some of the WLS that leave part of the stretchy. Now having said that, I can eat more now at 3 years out than I could at the beginning or even at 6 months. I really can't explain why. My doctor said that wold be normal, but not because I had restretched. I do believe that what DLRonnie said is true, "This stretching will not happen by having the occasional "over full" meal but by doing this meal after meal. It's reccomended that if you feel you ate a bit too much then make the next meal a bit smaller. It is also reccomended that you weigh and measure your food forever so you can avoid these problems." I still measure and weigh to avoid making my stomach bigger and to avoid having the "too much" come back up.

Bottom line here is that whether we can restretch or not, consistant over eating and/or eating the things that caused our obesity in the first place will cause us to regain. And that's true of all WLSs.

kenmj11

Immediately after surgery your stomach is swollen and so you have the least capacity. Over 6-8 weeks that swelling goes down and your capacity goes to about 4 ounces. Even still dense food like meat may only allow 2 ounces at a time. I am at 15 months and can eat about a cup of food at a time and perhaps 4-6 ounces of meat if I go slow. Yesterday though I was really hungry and took 3 quick bites of a pita sandwich and boy was i uncomfortable. It took about an hour to feel better and then i slowly ate about 80% of the sandwich total.

You will never have the ability to eat as much as before. The original stomach could stretch the size of a football. Now at most a banana and there is not much stretchiness left. Maybe upto a zucchini ;-)

Some days I do forget I don't have a normal stomach anymore but then i get quickly reminded. My dogs love this. I was having a cheeseburger the other day (homemade - no bun of course but half a slice of wheat bread wrapped around it - this is what 15 months out is like thankfully) and after about 3-4 ounces I was really full. I thought about taking that last bite, thought again, then gave it to the pup (who is not a pup but a 65 pound lab) I gave the rest of the bread to my 90 pound lab. they are loving this diet of mine though the vet may not be happy.