Friday, January 22, 2016

Could this new op combat obesity? It's less invasive and cheaper than gastric bypass surgery - and 'reduces weight by 54%'

Doctors have long searched for a non-invasive treatment for obesity.
For, invasive bariatric surgeries – such as gastric bypass or gastric band – are costly and do carry risks.
And so, only two per cent of people who need the surgeries actually get them.
But now, scientists have developed a procedure called an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.
By inserting a flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it, doctors can reduce the size of a stomach by creating a ‘sleeve’ with sutures, a new study revealed.
The procedure is minimally invasive, cost efficient - and reduces excess body weight by 54 per cent.
This finding offers an alternative to traditional weight loss surgeries, according to the study.

The procedure falls under the umbrella of endoscopy – the nonsurgical procedure that gastroenterologists use to examine a person’s digestive tract.
The Mayo Clinic conducted a study on 25 obesity patients who underwent the procedure.
They found it reduced excess body weight within one year.
Additionally, the procedure delayed solid food emptying from the stomach – creating an earlier feeling of fullness during a meal.
That feeling of fullness resulted in a more significant and long-lasting weight loss.
The endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty was ‘well tolerated’ as an outpatient treatment.

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