MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Weight loss is a common struggle many of us face. Often, dieting leads to a cycle of loss and gain, and many diets and weight-loss programs are difficult to sustain long term. Physicians at WVU Medicine are offering new, non-surgical bariatric treatments for patients who struggle with obesity and are ready to sustainably lose the weight.
Obesity affects nearly 40 percent of West Virginians and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and other potentially life-threatening conditions. Losing as little as 10 percent of your body weight can greatly reduce the risk of developing these diseases and, in some cases, even reverse existing disease.
The WVU Medicine Medical and Surgical Weight-Loss Center offers minimally invasive, non-surgical endoscopic procedures for weight loss, including endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty and gastric balloon. For patients who had previous bariatric surgeries and have regained weight, endoscopic revision procedures, like transoral gastric outlet reduction and endoscopic revision of sleeve gastrectomy, are also offered. The WVU Medicine Bariatric Endoscopy Program is nationally recognized and one of the leading centers in the country offering these procedures.
“When people think of bariatric weight loss, they tend to immediately think of gastric bypass surgery, but new procedures have become available recently that are just as effective without requiring surgery and a long recovery,” Shailendra Singh, M.D., WVU Medicine bariatric endoscopy director, said. “The new endoscopic procedures we are able to do also eliminate the need for surgical incisions, scarring, and overnight stays in the hospital. Patients are able to go home that day.”
Because many of the new techniques are not surgical and do not require the same levels of sedation or length of recovery, many patients may find they qualify for them when they do not qualify for gastric bypass surgery. Kathy Mahoney, 53, of Elkins, was one of those patients.
Mahoney started researching bariatric weight loss after years of dieting was unsuccessful in helping her lose weight and keep it off.
“I was at a point in my life where I needed to either do something or accept that this was the way things were going to be,” Mahoney said. “I’ve never been able to accept it. I kept going for the next diet. I wanted something that would be the last diet.”
After learning that her insurance had lowered the time requirements to receive bariatric surgery, Mahoney made the decision to move forward with it. When an endoscopy was performed to determine if she would be a good candidate, her doctors discovered that she had esophageal varices, an indicator of severe liver disease. This meant that she was needed to undergo additional testing to determine if she could qualify for bariatric surgery.
“I was concerned about the liver disease they found, but also knew that I would have to start the bariatric surgery process all over again once we fixed it,” Mahoney said. “That’s when I learned about endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.”
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is performed by accessing the stomach through the mouth with an endoscope, a thin and flexible camera, then using a suture device attached to the endoscope to reduce the size of the stomach. Because the stomach is smaller, patients feel full faster, restricting the number of calories they can consume.
Because it is performed under less sedation and does not require surgical incisions, it is suited to patients who may not qualify for traditional bariatric surgery. The procedure takes about 90 minutes, and most patients can go home the same day.
“I had additional tests to see how advanced my liver disease was, and we found out that I didn’t have any scar tissue, cirrhosis, or varices,” Mahoney said. “That meant that I would qualify for surgery, but it would be another year because I had missed weigh-ins and other requirements.”
Instead of starting the process of preparing for bariatric surgery over again, Mahoney made the decision to move forward with an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.
“I knew that I could be where I wanted to be with my weight-loss goals in a year, and I was ready to make the change,” Mahoney said. “I didn’t want to wait and be another year further behind.”
In the nearly six months since her procedure, Mahoney says she is starting to see some great results.
“I’ve lost 45 pounds since the surgery, and my liver condition is improving,” Mahoney said. “I’m able to move around much easier and have more energy. It feels good to reach into the back of my closet and start wearing the clothes I couldn’t fit in before. I’m grateful to Dr. Singh and his team for helping me get here.”
Non-surgical bariatric procedures offer options for patients who, for many reasons, want to make a permanent change to lose weight, but don’t want to have surgery. Clara Liston, 61 of Bruceton Mills, chose an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty because of her age.
“As I get older, I’m less willing to have surgery and have to worry about the recovery from it,” Liston said. “I wanted to have this done because I have grandchildren, and I want to be healthy so I can be around to watch them grow up.”
In the six months since her procedure, she’s lost more than 30 pounds and is looking forward to what the future holds.
“I’m looking forward to losing even more weight,” Liston said. “I’m already able to do things I couldn’t before, like bending over to tie my shoes. Going to the grocery store is much easier now that I don’t get tired as quickly.”
Liston said she didn’t have any problems during her recovery from the procedure, and Singh and his staff quickly addressed any issues she had.
“I had a concern a week after my procedure, and Dr. Singh sent a nurse over to my office in the WVU Health Sciences Center to talk to me,” Liston said. “His entire team was wonderful, and he even gave me his personal cell number to call if I needed anything. I’ve just been very pleased with the whole experience.”
If you are interested in bariatric weight loss or have questions about where to get started, visit WVUMedicine.org/NonSurgicalWeightLoss.