At Baptist Health, we deliver the best available weight loss treatments, including new procedures that are not widely available. Gastric sleeve plication (also known as Laparoscopic Greater Curvature Plication or LGCP) is an innovative treatment that reduces the amount of food you can eat by folding the stomach over itself. 

LGCP preserves much of the body’s natural digestion process by not removing the upper portion of the stomach and leaving the small intestines intact. These simple steps make it easier for you to digest food and avoid complications, such as malnutrition. In fact, LGCP is one of the lowest risk bariatric procedure available. 

Gastric Sleeve Plication (LGCP): Our Approach to Care at Baptist Health

At Baptist Health, we’ve built our bariatric surgery program around giving you everything you need to live a healthier, happier life. Our team wants to see you succeed, which is why we place so much importance on getting to know you. We want to know about your goals and challenges, so we can help you achieve the results you’re looking for. 

Highlights of our program include: 

• Expertise: Our surgeons specialize in bariatric procedures and are experienced in LGCP. This depth of expertise helps you have a safe procedure and avoid complications.
• Outcomes: We want you to get the most out of surgery. We will help you learn what foods you can eat and lend a caring ear during a challenging time. Our personalized approach is one of the reasons our patients consistently lose weight and keep it off.
• Support: Bariatric treatments at Baptist Health include more than surgery. We give you personalized support toward living a healthy lifestyle. In addition to learning how to eat well and stay active, you can get extra help by attending our monthly support group meetings. 

What Is Gastric Sleeve Plication (LGCP)?

During LGCP, we fold over the stretchy upper portion of the stomach and secure it using stitches or surgical staples. What remains is a stomach pouch that looks like a narrow tube or “sleeve.”

This procedure helps you lose weight by limiting how much food you can eat. LGCP reduces your stomach capacity by 75 percent. You can expect to feel full faster and stay full for several hours.  

Is Gastric Sleeve Plication Right for Me?

LGCP may be right for you if:

• Other treatments have failed to help you lose weight
• You are healthy enough for surgery

We work with you one-on-one so you always know what to expect before, during and after surgery. But you should also consider the risks and benefits of LGCP, so you can make care decisions you feel good about. 

Advantages of gastric sleeve plication

The benefits of LGCP include: 

• Preserving your natural stomach: Instead of removing portions of your stomach, we make a few simple folds to create a stomach pouch. Avoiding incisions that go along with other procedures, like gastric sleeve, lowers your risk of complications during and shortly after surgery.  
• Helping you get more nutrients from the foods you eat: Unlike gastric bypass, which allows food to skip over part of the small intestine, LGCP allows food to go through the full digestion process. As a result, there is a lower risk of severe diarrhea and malnutrition. 

Risks and disadvantages of gastric sleeve plication

As with any medical procedure, LGCP carries some risks and disadvantages, including: 

• Not covered by insurance: LGCP is not yet covered by insurance. You will need to pay for your procedure out-of-pocket. However, Baptist Health offers self-pay rates to make the procedure more affordable. 
• Lack of information about long-term effectiveness: Since the procedure is new, experts have not yet been able to observe how patients maintain their weight loss over time. This will change as more patients have the procedure, and there is more research studying the long-term results. 
• You may need additional surgery if you experience complications: On rare occasions, the stitched portion of the stomach pouch can leak, or the stitches can become loose. If this happens, you may need additional surgery to repair the leak or secure the stomach pouch with new stitches. 

Gastric Sleeve Plication: What to Expect

LGCP can help you achieve life-changing weight loss results. Our dedicated bariatric surgeons assure a safe procedure and our team provides all the education and support you need to be successful. 

If LGCP is right for you, here’s what to expect:

1. We give you medicine to help you fall asleep and not feel any sensation during the procedure (general anesthesia). 
2. Our surgeon makes up to 5 small incisions in your abdomen. Through these incisions, we place a special camera and sophisticated surgical instruments to carry out your procedure.
3. The camera sends real-time video to a monitor in the operating room. We use this video to see inside your stomach during surgery.
4. We fill your abdomen with carbon dioxide gas to create more space between the organs so we can safely carry out the procedure. 
5. We fold your stomach over itself and secure the folded section with stitches. What remains is a narrow sleeve-shaped pouch.
6. We complete the surgery by removing the camera and instruments and closing the incisions with stitches. 
7. We help you get the most out of surgery with personalized nutrition and exercise recommendations. Many patients get the extra support and encouragement they need through our monthly support groups. Here you can learn how to overcome challenges and celebrate your achievements with people who genuinely want to see you succeed.