Stomaphyx, EROS, Transoral Repair
on 10/26/07 2:30 pm
From the RESTORe brochure:
What may hinder weight loss following gastric bypass? The most common surgical procedure to treat obesity is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). In this procedure, the surgeon forms a small pouch in the stomach to limit food intake. The pouch is then attached directly to the middle part of the small intestine, through a dime-sized opening called a “stoma.” It is believed that this narrow opening between the pouch and the intestine slows down the passage of food, helping patients feel full more quickly when eating. Following surgery, a small percentage of patients do not lose adequate weight, and some may even regain the weight they’ve lost. One possible explanation is that the opening between the stomach pouch and the intestine has stretched. If this opening becomes too wide, food may be able to pass from the stomach to the intestine too quickly — causing patients to feel less full after eating.
Diet & Exercise Programs Patients who experience inadequate weight loss or weight regain following gastric bypass surgery may try various diet and exercise programs. Changes to a patient’s caloric intake, meal frequency, and exercise regimen may help stimulate additional weight loss. However, since most gastric bypass patients had only partial success with diet and exercise prior to surgery, these approaches alone might not be enough to help patients achieve their weight loss goals. Additional Surgery For some patients, doctors may recommend additional invasive surgery to correct certain problems from the original gastric bypass. Sometimes, this surgery involves tightening the opening between the stomach pouch and the small intestine. Although this may help patients resume their weight loss, the risk of complications during a second surgical procedure is significantly higher than the risk during the original bypass procedure.
The RESTORe Procedure Doctors are now evaluating an incisionless procedure for patients who have either had inadequate weight loss or have regained weight following gastric bypass. The RESTORe procedure is performed without incisions using a flexible device that is passed through the mouth, down to the opening between the stomach pouch and the small intestine. Using this device, doctors place a series of stitches around this opening to tighten it up. This may slow down the passage of food from the stomach to the intestine, helping patients to feel full longer after eating.
on 12/13/07 2:41 am
