Laparoscopic gastric plication

The surgery price is almost 5500 Euro on average.

On average, the operation takes 2-3 hours, including the work of anesthesiologists, patient preparation, and other relevant procedures.

When conservative weight control measures, like diets and physical activity, are sufficient, surgery will not be necessary.

Gastric plication is performed for long-term results. When all the doctor's recommendations are followed after the operation, the patient gets full faster, their weight drops rapidly, and stomach plication will not need to be repeated. However, long-term studies show that the probability of weight regain after this operation may be higher than after peripheral gastric resection or gastric bypass surgery. This may be influenced by the relaxation of the gastric sutures, causing an increase in the volume of the formed tube. It is important to have realistic expectations and remember that the result of the operation will depend highly on the patient's lifestyle after the procedure, including diet and physical activity.

The main principles should be: • Eat food slowly and in small portions. • Chop food into small pieces and chew well. • Drink enough water, tea, or other liquids 20 – 30 minutes after your meal. Do not drink during meals. • Avoid fatty, fried, or roasted food. Refrain from sugar. • Choose healthily prepared, steamed, boiled, or stewed dishes. • We recommend our patients take supplements with a higher amount of B group vitamins, folic acid, micronutrients, vitamin D, and calcium.

It is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia, so a small risk of complications remains. In some cases, the disintegration of gastric sutures, internal bleeding, clot formation, infection, or chronic pain can occur (3-5% of operated patients). The most common late complication of vertical gastric resection is gastroesophageal reflux. As many as 20-30 percent of patients develop symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux within five years after surgery and have to use acid-reducing medications regularly. However, when the operation is performed by experienced abdominal surgeons, the probability of complications is extremely low. If you follow the doctor's instructions carefully, you should not be worried.

With attentive care of the surgical site, the scars left after the incision are minimal. Eventually, they fade and become practically invisible.

Avoid active physical activity or sports in the first months after gastric plication, as it can complicate the healing process. You can return to usual physical activity once the surgical site has fully healed, approximately eight weeks after surgery.

Laparoscopic gastric plication takes place under general anesthesia, so you will not feel pain or discomfort.

For the first few days after the operation, you may feel the pain of varying intensity, a sense of stretching, nausea and vomiting, general fatigue, mood swings, and dry skin. These are normal sensations as the body adapts to the changes. If the discomfort is severe, take pain medication prescribed by the doctor.

Most cases, patients can go home within 2-3 days after surgery.

Laparoscopic gastric plication is a minimally invasive procedure, so recovery is relatively short and uncomplicated, lasting for about 6-8 weeks.