Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty is a bariatric weight loss procedure that mimics the results of a surgery called laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). It is nonpermanent and reversible. During the ESG procedure, a gastroenterologist will insert an endoscope (a long, tube-like instrument with a camera and tools) into the stomach through your throat. They will fold and reshape your stomach into a tubular, “sleeve-like shape.
Efficacy
ESG reduces the size of your stomach and is an effective long-term weight loss solution. In most studies, it also reduces metabolic diseases associated with obesity. ESG works by creating a tube-shaped structure in your stomach that limits how much you can eat, changing how your body uses food for energy. It also alters hormones that affect hunger and metabolism, resulting in weight loss.
During an outpatient procedure, doctors go into your stomach through your mouth using an endoscope and a suturing device that brings together stomach sections to create the sleeve. The sleeve reduces stomach volume from the size of a football to that of a banana, so you feel full sooner and experience less hunger. Studies comparing ESG to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy have found that the two procedures produce similar total body weight loss results. However, because ESG does not involve abdominal incisions or tissue removal, it has a lower rate of complications and shorter recovery times than sleeve gastrectomy. It is important to note that, like all surgical procedures, the effectiveness of ESG depends on patient compliance with dietary and lifestyle changes.
Side Effects
After a brief stay in the hospital, most patients go home the same day. ESG is a less-invasive treatment than traditional bariatric surgery, so patients have a lower risk of complications and can recover more quickly. Under anesthesia, a doctor inserts an endoscope into your mouth and down your throat to reach your stomach. The endoscope is fitted with a light, camera, and suturing device that lets the doctor alter the structure of your stomach. The doctor places sutures that turn your stomach into a banana-shaped “sleeve.” Your reduced stomach size restricts how much you can eat, helping you lose weight and improve your health. ESG is one of the most effective ways to lose significant weight, and many patients can also see improvements in obesity-related comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes. ESG is a safe and effective method of weight loss, but there are better solutions for everyone who is significantly overweight. It’s important to undergo a screening process to ensure you are a good candidate for the procedure and commit to ongoing healthy lifestyle changes and medical follow-up. Comparing the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty price is also one way to decide whether it’s right for you.
Safety
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an outpatient, minimally invasive weight loss procedure and is even less invasive than surgical gastric sleeve surgery. The process uses an endoscope, a thin, flexible tube with a camera and suturing device, to place sutures in the stomach. It is a reversible, nonpermanent bariatric procedure for those who do not qualify for or want traditional surgical sleeve gastrectomy but are overweight with related medical issues such as diabetes, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol. The ESG procedure works by altering the shape of your stomach from a tubular or sleeve-like form to a smaller vertical “accordion” shape. It is accomplished by placing a series of full-thickness sutures in a running stitch pattern across the stomach’s front and back walls to reduce its volume by up to 70% and change satiety-inducing hormones.
After waking from anesthesia, most patients go home the same day or require a short stay in the hospital for observation for one day or less. Your healthcare team will provide instructions regarding your post-treatment diet, including a liquid and semi-solid food program, behavior modification, and medical checkups. As with all weight loss procedures, adherence to the program can help you achieve and maintain long-term success.
Recovery
ESG is a surgically non-invasive procedure performed in an outpatient setting. It is an alternative to bariatric surgery for patients with obesity-related medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It works by reducing your stomach’s usable capacity and changing the shape of your stomach to a more tube-like form. It restricts how much you can eat and causes your stomach to empty more slowly, making you feel full after eating smaller portions. An endoscope, a small, flexible tube, is put into your mouth, passed into your esophagus, and down into your stomach during the ESG operation, carried out while you are under general anesthetic. The endoscope has a camera that projects a live image of the inside of your stomach on a monitor. The surgeon uses special tools to reshape and alter the anatomy of your stomach, which takes less than two hours. After the procedure, you’ll awaken in a recovery room where doctors monitor you for complications. Most people go home the same day after recovering from sedation. You’ll start a liquid diet and eventually move to semi-solid foods. With regular medical exams, your doctor and dietician will assist you in creating a balanced nutritional plan. Because it’s a minimally invasive procedure, you’ll have fewer complications after your procedure than with traditional bariatric surgery. However, there are still risks and side effects from the operation, such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, which typically last no more than 2-3 days.