Home > News > Non invasive methods in bariatric surgery - 1
Non invasive methods in bariatric surgery - 1
NON INVASIVE METHODS IN THE BARIATRIC FIELD: PRINCIPLES
Surgery through the laparoscopic approach ("keyholes operations") has been a breakthrough in general surgery for the past 20 years. It seems obvious that bariatric surgery has greatly benefited from this approach. Nowadays, almost all the current bariatric operations are performed this way.Yet this is still surgery, with a general and deep anaesthesia, an hospitalization, and post-operative risks, although this can be done also on an out-patient basis. Can we do better, i.e.operate through natural orifices?
Attractive and purely non invasive "surgical" methods (i.e. performed through upper endoscopy) are now available to treat severe obesity.They are under evaluation and we need more clinical research, but this could be a breakthrough in the field of obesity treatments.
For the time being, there are two leads:
1. Purely endoscopic techniques: Untill recently the only available endoscopic treatment was the intragastric balloon, but it is a temporary procedure that fails to deliver good result in the long run. New methods are down the road. For instance a procedure using staplers, like in the Vertical banded gastroplasty (see chapter "Surgery"), but this time only through the endoscopic approach.
2. A combination of endoscopy and laparoscopy , i.e. non invasive + mini-invasive methods, that can be compared to the so called NOTES: Natural Orifice Trans Endoscopic Surgery.
