Why Endoscopic Intragastric is Gaining Popularity in Weight Loss"

Endoscopic Options for Weight Loss

If you are suffering from weight, just watch a TV (advertisement for workout programs and diet planning) or check out a supermarket (headline of the "best" method for losing weight and maintaining). So you need to know that weight. Loss is a goal for many women. There is a legitimate reason. More than three of the three adults in the United States are overweight or obese.

Meals and exercise can help maintain healthy weight, but only for those who lose weight only in these methods. For people in other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, weight loss is important. Bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass, has long been recommended in these cases, but not everyone wants or is eligible for this type of surgery. What if you need to lose weight but traditional bariatric surgery isn't right for you?

That's where endoscopic weight loss techniques come in. At the Johns Hopkins Endoscopic Weight Loss Program, minimally invasive techniques offer some alternatives to surgical weight loss.

what is endoscopy

An endoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube equipped with a camera through the mouth and into the digestive tract, allowing doctors to access the digestive system without the higher-risk open surgery. Before surgery, doctors give patients medication to make them sleepy so they don't feel uncomfortable.

During an endoscopic weight loss procedure, doctors can insert special instruments and medications into your gastrointestinal tract to limit the amount of food you can eat. Experts say endoscopic weight loss procedures are a good alternative between drug therapy and surgery, with better results than drug therapy but less invasive and with fewer side effects and risks than surgery.

Unlike weight loss surgery for obese patients, which requires months of preparation and days of recovery, endoscopy can be completed in one day. While the weight loss is not as dramatic as surgery, the entire process usually takes only a few hours.

Insurance may not cover endoscopic weight loss procedures, nor may it cover the nutritional counseling that helps patients maintain a healthy weight afterwards. Gastric Balloon

One of the most common endoscopic weight loss procedures is the gastric balloon. This treatment involves placing a silicone balloon in the stomach to increase its volume. With less space in your stomach, you eat less.

A gastric balloon can help you feel fuller for longer. Delayed gastric emptying also helps relieve feelings of fullness. Doctors may use a single balloon or newer dumbbell-like models. Doctors leave the balloon in place for about six months, and patients can expect to lose up to 15% of their body weight. The procedure is approved for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 to 40. It's not for everyone: People who have a hiatal hernia or have had previous stomach surgery aren't eligible for a gastric balloon. It's also not a good option for people with acid reflux, as it can make their condition worse. Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty During endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, a specialist places stitches inside the stomach, reducing its volume by 70%. During the procedure, the patient is completely asleep under general anesthesia. The sutures last about a year before being absorbed by the body.

Patients typically lose about 20% of their body weight from the procedure, which has more predictable results than a gastric balloon. The data show that in relation to the gastric cylinder procedure, which does not work as effectively in all patients, the endoscopic gastroplasty of the English Channel seems to work well in almost everyone.

Gastric injections

The stomach injections work, freeing the stomach muscles, which slows down digestion and helps patients feel faster. This treatment contributes to a more gentle goal to lose weight, and generally loses weight from 5 % to 10 %.

What can be repeated six months later is one of the most invasive treatments that require a series of injections in the stomach. Doctors say the procedure takes just 10 minutes and is completely painless, and that the injections could be a good option for those looking to lose weight for cosmetic reasons, such as post-pregnancy weight gain.