As it became known, today a completely new and very unusual method of treating obesity is being tested in the United States, with the help of which, in most cases, it will be possible to avoid surgery to reduce the stomach. Its essence is to use a special tube made of thin plastic. It is injected into the intestines, which can significantly reduce the absorption of nutrients..
The end of the 20th century was successful for doctors, because there were many accomplished discoveries, among which a special place is occupied by the methods of bariatric surgery, which can dramatically increase the effectiveness of therapy for severe obesity. At the same time, it is known that operations of this kind to reduce the volume of the stomach are not effective in all cases. In addition, the risk of postoperative complications increases, since, in fact, this is a surgical intervention.
Currently, American scientists have made a breakthrough in this area. At this stage, they are conducting clinical trials of the method at a clinic at the University of Alabama, located in Birmingham (University of Alabama at Birmingham). It is known that the non-surgical method of losing weight is already being tested in several countries. The essence of this method, tested by American doctors, is that a thin plastic tube is inserted into the intestine using an endoscope. The method was named «EndoBarrier».
The procedure itself does not last long — just 15-20 minutes is enough for the doctor to insert the endoscope through the stomach, large intestine or esophagus. This eliminates the need for surgery to reduce the volume of the stomach. As a result of such actions, food gruel can freely move into the intestine through the tube, while its mucous membrane will no longer be able to absorb nutrients through the walls of the tube, which act as a kind of barrier. Another plus of the new method is that the tube can be taken out at any time, again thanks to the endoscope.
Employees of the American company GI Dynamics, Inc, who are the creators of the described non-surgical method of losing weight, noted that the most ideal option is to install EndoBarrier for up to a year, since this time will be enough for body weight to decrease by about 20% from its original indicators. If clinical trials are successful, then in 2015 they can be actively used in the United States..
