Endoscopic Sleeve
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is for anyone significantly overweight who has tried diet and exercise without results. This procedure is an option for people who aren’t candidates for other bariatric surgeries, the endoscopic sleeve uses sutures to minimize the size of the stomach.
This minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure limits the amount of food a patient can eat, increasing fullness to help shed excess weight. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, as with all the other weight-loss procedures we offer, patients must commit to a healthy lifestyle to better ensure long-term success.
Endoscopic Sleeve Q & A
How does endoscopic sleeve work?
This procedure is performed from the inside of the body using a camera and endoscopic suturing device which is placed into your stomach through your throat. Suturing will constrict the stomach to a similar size as would the gastric sleeve surgery, about the size of a banana—approximately 50 to 150 milliliters. Because the stomach is smaller the patient will feel fuller quicker. Also, because certain parts of the stomach are no longer exposed to food, the body is unable to absorb as many calories as it once had.
Compared to gastric sleeve surgery, the endoscopic sleeves procedure is non-invasive. It can also be reversed and repeated to fit the patient’s needs. Studies have shown that patients may lose 30-60% of their body fat in up to six months after the endoscopic sleeve procedure with proper exercise and diet.
Do I qualify for endoscopic sleeve?
If you answer “yes” to all the questions below, you may qualify!
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Do you have a BMI between 30 and 35?
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Have you attempted to lose weight via non-surgical methods with no success?
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Do you not have gastrointestinal bleeding or a hiatal hernia larger than 3 centimeters
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Have you never had stomach surgery?
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Are you aware of the risks, side effects, and complications?
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Do you agree to make the necessary lifestyle changes?
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Can you commit to a healthy and active lifestyle?
Advantages of endoscopic sleeve:
For the patients who don’t qualify for other bariatric surgeries, due to their body mass index, various health issues, or abdominal scarring, the endoscopic sleeve is an effective option. The endoscopic sleeve can significantly lower your risk of weight-related health issues like gastroesophageal reflux disease, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.
The endoscopic sleeve also reduces hunger, does not reroute intestines, facilitates safe weight loss, allows digestion to occur naturally, and doesn’t require that a medical device be implanted.
Disadvantages of endoscopic sleeve:
After the procedure, pain and nausea may persist for a few days. This pain and nausea can effectively by managed with medication prescribed by your doctor.
If a patient’s diet becomes unbalanced and they continue to eat more than the portions their doctor has recommended, their weight-loss success will be hindered.
Additionally, as with any other medical procedure, there are corresponding potential risks your doctor will inform you of thoroughly.
Before the procedure:
Stick to the pre-procedure diet as your doctor prescribes. Also, avoid drinking or eating anything after midnight on the day of your surgery. If you drink or eat anything during this time, your procedure will be cancelled. Check with your doctor to see if you are able to take your daily medications on the day of your surgery.
You may need lab tests prior to surgery to better determine whether the endoscopic procedure is right for you and your body.
Day of the procedure:
At the hospital, you will be given general anesthesia prior to your procedure. Your doctor will insert an endoscope—a camera attached to a flexible tube—which is attached to an endoscopic suturing device into your stomach through your throat. This device allows your doctor to see the inside of your stomach and accurately make the proper abdominal incisions.
Your doctor will then place about 12 sutures in your stomach, decreasing the size of your stomach which will restrict the calories your body is able to absorb. This will take approximately 90 minutes. Then you will be taken to a recovery room to be medically monitored.
Most patients return home the same day as they recover from sedation.
After the procedure:
For approximately eight hours after your procedure, you will not be able to eat. After the initial eight hours, you are able to begin a liquid diet. For the next two weeks you will have to maintain this liquid diet. After four weeks, you are able to eat semi-solids. When you and your doctor decide you are ready, you can begin to eat solid foods.
Remember to also keep up with regular check-ins with your doctors and contact your doctors whenever you have questions! Your support team here at Minimally Invasive and Bariatrics Surgery is here for you at every point along your weight-loss journey.