Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is an alternative to bariatric surgery for people who are classified as obese (BMI over 30). It reduces the stomach’s volume and shape to a sleeve-like structure.
It involves a minimally-invasive procedure under general anesthesia. A flexible tube with a camera and suturing device is inserted down the throat into the stomach.
What Is The Procedure?
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses stitches to make your stomach smaller. This restricts how much food you can eat and makes it easier to lose weight. It is a non-surgical alternative to bariatric procedures like gastric sleeve surgery.
During the ESG procedure, you’ll be asleep under general anesthesia. An endoscope with a camera attached to it will be inserted through your mouth and into your stomach. The doctor then uses a tool to double-stitch the wider part of your stomach, making it smaller and tube-shaped. This reduces your stomach’s capacity by about 80% and makes you feel full more quickly after eating.
You’ll awaken in the hospital recovery room and be allowed home that day, or you may need a short stay in the hospital to monitor yourself after you wake up from the anesthesia. ESG is considered a safe and effective weight loss procedure with few risks.
Like all bariatric surgeries, ESG is intended to help you lose significant weight and improve your health. After the procedure, you must follow a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
How Is The Procedure Performed?
A recent addition to the arsenal of bariatric surgeries, ESG is an outpatient procedure that reduces the size of a patient’s stomach. It’s an option for patients who cannot lose weight with diet and exercise alone. It can treat obesity-related comorbidities such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, sleep apnea, diabetes, and high blood pressure. It can also lower the risk of a patient developing these conditions.
ESG is performed while a patient is asleep under general anesthesia. An endoscope, a thin, flexible tube with a camera and suturing tool attached, passes through the mouth into the stomach. The endoscope releases gas into the stomach to expand it, and live magnified images of the interior are displayed on a monitor. The stomach is altered into a “sleeve-like” or tubular structure by the doctor inserting several stitches on its inside walls. This severely limits how much food the body can consume and absorb.
Because the procedure is so minimally invasive, patients often go home the same day of their surgery. However, some may have to spend the night or a few days in the hospital for observation, and someone must drive them home once released. Patients follow a liquid diet after the procedure and then gradually move to soft foods and solids as their stomach heals.
What Is The Recovery Like?
An endoscopic treatment called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty shrinks your stomach and alters how your body absorbs food. You are put under anesthetic for this two-hour outpatient procedure, and an endoscope—a flexible tube with a small camera and suturing tool—is then inserted into your stomach. Sections of the tissue in your stomach are pulled and tightened accordion-like by a doctor using the endoscope and a suturing tool. This results in the “sleeve,” which decreases the size of your stomach and alters how food enters your system, helping you feel satisfied after fewer, smaller meals.
This is an alternative to traditional bariatric surgery for patients who do not meet the criteria for gastric sleeves or other surgical procedures. ESG is a long-term weight loss solution and, when combined with dietary modifications and exercise, can lead to a healthy BMI of 30 or less and significant weight loss.
You will spend a little time in the recovery room following the treatment as medical professionals monitor your health. Many patients leave the hospital the same day, although a few might need to stay overnight or longer for observation before being allowed to go. Make sure you have a ride home from the hospital if necessary. Relaxing at home for a week following surgery is advised before starting your normal routine again.
What Is The Long-Term Outcome?
In ESG, the doctor will use a suturing device to staple part of the stomach into a narrow “sleeve” shape without removing it. The smaller stomach will hold less food and absorb fewer calories, helping you lose weight.
A more recent kind of minimally invasive surgery is ESG. It’s a suitable alternative for people who have tried unsuccessfully to reduce weight by diet and exercise alone and with a body mass index of 30 or above. Significant weight reduction from ESG can improve long-term health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.
Unlike gastric bypass surgery, ESG doesn’t change anatomy or require significant recovery time. It’s also less expensive than other types of surgical weight loss procedures. But it’s important to note that ESG isn’t a permanent weight loss solution. You’ll need to commit to healthy eating habits and regular follow-up visits for the rest of your life to keep the weight off.
Before recommending this or any other weight loss procedure, doctors will carefully consider your health history and personal goals. Your doctor may recommend a screening process to see if you’re a candidate for surgery and will discuss the risks and benefits of this procedure with you. If you’re interested in ESG, your doctor will help you develop a healthy eating plan and exercise regimen to support your goals.
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