Other Weight Loss Therapies - Weight Loss Surgery: Obesity

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Other weight-loss therapies

Researchers have experimented with novel solutions that go beyond medication and surgery. Two such potential solutions for treating obesity are special devices that help prevent overeating. One is a pacemaker-like device that delivers low-level electric stimulation to the stomach; the other is a silicone stomach balloon filled with salt water. Although both have been tested and are used in other countries, neither has been approved by the FDA for use in the United States (as of 2006). Experts think these devices probably won't prove very effective alone, but may be useful for certain people in combination with other therapies.

Gastric stimulator

Known as the gastric electrical stimulator (GES), this matchbox-sized device is implanted under the skin of the abdomen during an hour-long outpatient procedure. An external programming device communicates with the battery-powered implant, triggering it to emit mild electrical shocks. These low-level electrical impulses apparently cause the stomach to relax and distend. This triggers nerves in the stomach to tell the brain that the stomach is full, which is thought to help curb excessive eating. More than 300 people have participated in trials of the device, but these trials have failed to show that the device helps people lose significantly more weight than people in control groups.

Stomach balloon

The intragastric balloon system consists of a soft silicone balloon that partially fills the stomach, supposedly creating a sense of fullness that then limits eating. The patient swallows the deflated balloon, with the help of numbing drugs on the throat and muscle relaxants. Once the balloon is inside the stomach, the doctor fills it with salt water (saline) through an attached catheter that's immediately removed. The balloon self-seals and then floats freely in the stomach. The balloon needs to be removed after six months, because acid in the stomach may cause the balloon to weaken and deflate.

Although the current intragastric balloon appears to be safer than those tried in the 1980s, it can lead to severe complications. The balloon may deflate before it's supposed to be removed. The empty balloon may pass through the bowel and out of the body, but it's possible that it may become trapped in the bowel, causing an obstruction. If this happens, the balloon may need to be surgically removed; otherwise, the blockage can be fatal. Other side effects can include nausea and vomiting for a few days or longer after placement. Finally, controlled studies have not shown the balloon to be effective for long-term weight loss.

Last updated:	June 20, 2007