Non-surgical Obesity Treatments
Is it possible to treat obesity without surgery?
The aim of obesity treatment is to help the patient reach a healthy weight range. Sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass surgeries are the most successful treatment methods in terms of treatment options, but non-surgical treatment options should be evaluated, especially for patients who do not meet the surgical criteria or do not intend to have surgery. These methods, whose efficiency is temporary and weight loss success is more dependent on the dietary behaviors of the patient, allow weight loss when used effectively, although not as much as surgeries.
What are the nonsurgical methods in obesity treatment?
Non-surgical methods in the obesity treatment are treatment programs including endoscopic weight loss drug-toxin application or gastric balloon applications, and are performed under the control of a doctor and dietitian so that the patient can reach and maintain a healthy weight range. The aim of the program is to provide a healthy transformation in the nutrition and lifestyle of the patient with the help of the applied procedures and to increase the quality of life of the patient.
Gastric Balloon
It is an application inserted in the stomach temporarily and provides fullness, satiety and loss of appetite for the patient during this period. It slows down solid food digestion and supports weight loss in addition to loss of appetite. There are versions that stay in stomach for 6 months and can be adjusted for 12 months. There are also recently available versions of swallowable capsules that do not require endoscopy and anesthesia. Successful results can be achieved in suitable patients who can implement nutritional and lifestyle changes. Compared to surgical methods such as sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass, success rates are low. While patients can lose 35-40% of their weight before surgery in sleeve gastrectomy, this rate is around 15% in gastric balloons.
Gastric Injection
The aim of this method, which is applied by injecting an agent called botulinum toxin to the parts of the stomach where the muscle density is, is to temporarily slow down the stomach muscles. The digestion time of solid foods is extended by slowing down the stomach muscles and the patient’s compliance with the diet increases. Weight loss depends on the patient’s compliance with the program. The weight that can be lost is 10% of the pre-application weight, that is, approximately 8-10 kg. After sleeve gastrectomy, 70-80% of excess weight can be lost. Therefore, it is not an alternative to bariatric surgery methods such as sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass.
