BTW..Bougie size

do you know what size bougie your doctor used on you?  Other than 32fr?  Mine is using a 36fr and I can't talk him into anything smaller.  If you had  larger than the 32, how is your weight loss?  Maintenance?  etc?  Thanks

My surgeon uses a 36. He says it really depends on the surgeons hand...he does a tight staple line around the 36.Thats his standard. I am only 3 weeks out, but lost 20 lbs so far. I started with a 37 BMI so 20 lbs is great for me:)

Bougie size is on my "to ask" list at 3mo post-op visit.  As I understand, it has a lot to do with appetite.  I believe this is used as the staple guide for VSG'ers.  Some folks have a 40-french used. I'm just sayin' I would think that would be for the 6'5 man.

I have no problem with 4oz food intake.  I will not go beyond.  I weigh everything.  Measuring is for mushy food only.  Meats and veggies are put on good scales.

And, yes, I am losing slowly...but the inches are really going down.

the diffrent sizes are not very difrent the smallest 32f is the size of a bic pen the largest 60f is the size of a high lighter

 the main diffrence is what your surgeon does with it mine used a 32f and made it loose  so it is the same size as a 34-36f 

 after 1 1/2 years I can only eat about 1 cut , 4 oz protien and 4 oz veggies

 he said after a year or so they all stretch to about 8-12 oz , which is about 1/4 of what you started with , and is fine if you stick to your plan

I have no idea - don't know, didn't care.  I also wouldn't try to talk a doctor into doing something he wasn't experienced with.  

I just asked if he would consider a smaller size, not super pushy about it.  I was in the medical field for 22 years so have a very inquisitive mind and like to research everything, perhaps too analytical for my own good.  I was forced into retirement in 2011 due to a stroke but never lost the urge/need to analyze and ask questions.  Y'all have put my mind at ease in so many ways.   And I am so very grateful for all the info, input, suggestions, etc coming my way.  

Frisco has a chart showing the size compared to pens but I can't find it

Some people think bougie size is a determinant of WL success or failure.  I know people on OH who've had 40fr bougies and are extremely successful.  The difference in size is marginal.  Here's a comparison chart:

GeekMonster, what do these pens/markers mean? Is that the size of our sleeves?

It's easier to quote than to type it myself.

What is a Bougie?

The bougie (prounounced BOO-zhee) is a measuring tool in the form of a long, thin, flexible tube. The surgeon uses it as a guide when dividing the stomach.

During surgery, the bougie is put into the mouth and pushed down through the esophagus and stomach to the pylorus. The tube creates a bulge inside the stomach that the surgeon uses to guide the stapler when dividing the stomach. After the sleeve is formed, the bougie is removed from the body.

Bougies comes in a range of sizes that are identified by a unit of measurement called a French. 1 French is equal to 0.333mm (1/3 mm) and is abbreviated as F, Fr or FR. For reference, a 40F bougie measures about 1/2 inch (40F x 0.333mm = 13.32mm, converted to inches is 1/2″).

Standard bougie sizes in the United States range from 32-50F. The bougie size is not the same as stomach size, although it does influence the size of the sleeve.

Generally, the smaller the bougie, the smaller the new stomach size, but the same size bougie does not always create the same size stomach. The finished sleeve size is determined by how close the stapler gets to the guide and whether the surgeon oversews the staple line and if so, by how much.

While the gastric sleeve is now widely accepted as a primary bariatric procedure, there is not yet unanimous agreement on an ideal bougie size. The decision is trying to find the size that will provide the safest results with the most amount of weight loss.

With a smaller bougie size, the smaller the sleeve and greater the restriction, but greater the risk of leak and stricture rate.

A stricture is an excessively narrow section that develops when scar tissue grows and interferes with the normal movement of food and liquids into the stomach. It can cause upper abdominal pain after eating and chronic vomiting or regurgitation of undigested food. Symptoms usually start in the first 6 weeks after surgery. Strictures are very uncommon, but surgery is required to remedy the situation.

If a larger bougie size is used, the sleeve will be larger and the operation safer, but the concern is that it may not produce enough weight loss.

2008 Study

A study in 2008 found that a bougie size of 40F compared with 60F did not result in significantly greater weight loss in the short term.

Comparing 40F versus 60F:

• At 6 months, the excess weight loss was 38.8% versus 40.6%.
• At 12 months, the excess weight loss was 51.9% versus 45.4%.