Many patients struggle with their weight on a daily basis. They tried multiple diets and all kinds of exercise programs. They spent thousands on prepared meals and protein shake programs only to see minimal results. Often, the few pounds lost tend to come back shortly thereafter. Patients go through phases of yoyo dieting and then either give up or start thinking about getting weight loss surgery. However, having bariatric surgery is a major decision with lifelong implications. Bariatric surgery works well for weight loss, and it is proven to provide multiple health benefits, but it comes with its own risks and potential complications. Many patients do not have weight loss surgery coverage through their insurance plans and paying for bariatric surgery out of pocket is very expensive and can be cost prohibitive for most.
This is where endoscopic bariatric procedures, such as the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG procedure), can present an excellent weight loss option.
What is Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty?
Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty, or endoscopic gastric sleeve, is an outpatient, non-surgical, minimally invasive weight loss procedure. This is not surgery. It is performed through the mouth. It does not involve any incisions or cutting. ESG involves placing sutures in the stomach to make the stomach smaller without cutting it.
How is the ESG procedure performed?
ESG is performed at an outpatient surgery center. It is done under anesthesia. The endoscopist introduces an endoscope equipped with a small suturing device, from the mouth and advances it to the stomach. The suturing device allows the doctor to place stitches in the stomach walls to bring them together and make the stomach smaller and give it a tubular shape. The ESG also makes the stomach shorter. The procedure takes around 45 minutes. After that, the patient is monitored in the recovery area for 2 hours, then they are discharged home the same day.
How does Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty work?
ESG procedure works by making the stomach smaller (both tighter and shorter). We decrease the stomach lumen by around 70% of its original size. ESG also makes the stomach slower. This means that the patient can eat a smaller amount of food; but also, the food takes a longer time to empty from the stomach into the small bowel. This means that then patient will feel full with smaller portions, but they will also feel full for longer. This results in weight loss.
How much weight can I lose with the ESG procedure?
Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty procedure results in significant and lasting weight loss. This has been proven in several clinical trials, and it resulted in the FDA approving ESG for patients with obesity and a BMI ranging from 30 to 50. Most patients lose on average 18% to 20% of their total body weight. The weight loss can increase with the addition of weight loss medications after the procedure. In such cases, the weight loss can approach 25% of the patient’s total body weight, which is pretty close to what can be achieved with a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.
What is the recovery after Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty?
Since ESG is not surgery, it does not involve cutting the abdominal wall muscle and therefore the recovery is very fast. The patients go home the same day, and they take 2-3 days off and then they can go back to work and to their routine.
Where can I get an Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty in Virginia?
When choosing where to get your ESG procedure done, you want to go to the best weight loss center and the physician with the most experience. Our endoscopic weight loss center provides our Virginia patients with the best expertise and the best quality of care as can be seen in our patients’ success stories. Our endoscopic weight loss center is a short 15-minute drive from northern Virginia. This makes it easy to serve our patients coming from Virginia, but this also makes it very practical for out-of-state patients to travel to our center via Dulles Airport in Herndon, VA, or Reagan National Airport in Arlington, VA. Our endoscopic weight loss program puts patients first and we offer virtual consultations and follow-up visits so our patients can have access to care and support provided by our team from the comfort of their home and at flexible hours.
If you are looking for endoscopic weight loss procedures in Virginia, call us now at: (301) 288-1319 to start your weight loss journey. You can also book a consultation online.
