Weight Loss Surgery Doesn't Leave Scar
Experimental Technique Goes Through Patient's Mouth
UPDATED: 7:41 am CDT July 15,
2009
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BOSTON -- Just before Christmas, Lissa Haynes' scale hit the highest number ever in their decade-long faceoff. Her weight contributed to her sleep apnea, high blood pressure and cholesterol.But in the 5 1/2 months since she underwent an experimental procedure that doesn't leave any scars being tested across the country, she has been able to work out daily and has lost 50 pounds. 
Video: No Scar Surgery? "It's changed my life. It's just so easy," said Haynes. "I feel like I was given a gift."The procedure is called transoral gastroplasty, or TOGA for short.Doctors at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester are the only ones in New England testing the procedure, which reduces the size of a patient's stomach to about three inches long and one inch wide, Boston's WCVB-TV reported.It's done via endoscope put into a patient's mouth and down the esophagus, leaving no scars. And because surgical incisions are often painful and at risk of infection, testing so far shows that the TOGA procedure can reduce recovery time from weeks to days."It's more of a procedure than a surgery. I mean, we are not cutting anything. We are not stitching anything," said Dr. Kanishka Bhattacharya, one of the two lead investigators on the TOGA study in Worcester."Most patients we see are getting better in 24 (to) 48 hours. They're feeling pretty good," said Dr. John Kelly.The most significant risks, doctors said, appears to be the risk of puncturing the esophagus, and the risks associated with undergoing general anesthesia. Also, any surgery that reduces the size of the stomach carries risks and usually requires a restricted diet afterward.Kelly and Bhattacharya said many of their obese patients fear or are too heavy for invasive surgery like gastric bypass. They hope that years from now, endoscopic procedures to restrict an overweight person's food intake will become a safe option in their battle against obesity."Every tool or new tool we can get to beat that is going to be important," said Kelly.Haynes is thankful she took the chance on the clinical trial, giving her the chance to improve her quality of life, and her health for good."My cholesterol is below normal. My blood pressure is absolutely normal, just since having this done."So far centers nationwide have enrolled 270 patients in the TOGA clinical trial. Two-thirds are having the procedure, while the rest are getting a placebo procedure. Next May the outcomes will be revealed, but Kelly and Bhattacharya said that even if the results are impressive, it will be two to three years before TOGA is available to all patients.
Video: No Scar Surgery?Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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