Bariatric Endoscopy the best solution for young obese people

Obesity is rising in India at an alarming rate. It may affect the other organs of the body, and the patient may go into metabolic syndrome.  Eight in ten women have visceral fat which is harmful, as it can promote long-lasting inflammation and increase the risk of chronic disease. To cut down kilos, people opt for bariatric surgery which is a drastic procedure. Bariatric Surgery is suited for patients who need to lose a significant amount of weight (80% of excess body weight loss) and all other measures to control it have failed. There are many patients who are in the bracket of overweight to obese, and are not recommended Bariatric Surgery but want lose those extra kilos. EndoscopicSleeve Gastroplasty can be a new solution for them.Dr. Mohit Bhandari, Founder Director and Chief Surgeon at Mohak Bariatrics & Robotics, Indore, and Dr. Amit Maydeo, the Chairman of Baldota Institute of Digestive Sciences, Global Hospital, Mumbai, spoke extensively about their new initiative ‘ENLITEN’ for the young urban Indian with ESG procedure.

Dr. Mohit Bhandari, who has performed Asia’s highest number of Bariatric Surgeries said, “I introduced the procedure in India in 2017, and have performed ESG on 52 female and 41 male patients. On June 13th, I will perform this procedure on the 100th patient. Overweight people in 20-40 age group, especially the ones following a sedentary lifestyle, are opting for ESG. I am a Bariatric & Metabolic Surgeon, and while I have performed more than 12,000 Bariatric Surgeries, the thought of introducing the non-surgical procedure arose because in my practice I meet a lot of patients who :

•             Want to lose around 15-20kg weight and/or are afraid to undergo surgery.

•             Are Low BMI Diabetics

•             Have regained weight after Bariatric Surgery

Impacts of hormonal changes and professional health hazards are a few other reasons. Then there are obese young girls finding it difficult to get married or conceive. ENLITEN is the ray of hope for them all. Also, Endoscopic Technique patients who have undergoneBariatric Surgery but have not had the desired result or have regained some weight, can now experience weight loss by this Endoscopic Revision Procedure.”

According to Dr. Bhandari, along with weight loss, it can also improve other conditions like Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Heart Disease or Stroke, High Blood Pressure, and Type 2 Diabetes. “ENLITEN, our new endeavor, shall commit to establish Bariatric Endoscopy centers of international standards, across the country. With our joint expertise, we aim to create standards to bring best patient outcomes with utmost quality care”, he said.

Dr. Amit Maydeo, Director, ENLITEN, said “ESG is a non-surgical procedure where the patient gets discharged after just a day’s stay in the hospital. It is carried out using an endoscope, a flexible tube with a camera and an endoscopic suturing device attached. The tiny camera allows the doctor to carry out the procedure without making incisions. The sutures placed in the stomach modify the stomach structure, thereby restricting the amount of calories the body absorbs. Starting with a liquid diet to semi-solid foods, and then to a regular healthy diet, the patient resumes the normal lifestyle in about a few weeks.”

The advantage of ESG is that stomach function, anatomy and physiology remain normal. It is less expensive than Bariatric Surgery, and can help one get rid of 15% to 20% of overall body weight. It is noteworthy that a loss of just 10% of total body weight reduces co-morbidity risk like heart problems by 90%. ESG is a restrictive procedure whereby the size of the stomach is reduced by 50%, the patient feels full early and won’t be hungry for a long time.