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Obesity is an epidemic in the United States.  Statistics have shown that from 1962 to  2000 the number of American’s who are obese increased from 13% to 31%

Currently surgery is one of the only long-term options for  those who are morbidly obese.  Surgery is often more effective than diet, exercise, or medications. As years have progressed, these weight loss operations have become less painful and less invasive.

The most common weight loss surgery, once required a rather large incision, but is now done through several small incisicions.

However, a new type of surgery is being tested in the U.S.  This new surgery will allow doctors to decrease the size of the stomach without any incisions.

The procedures name is Toga, which stands for transoral gastroplasy.   Instead of making incisions in the stomac, a stapler is passed down the throat and is used to staple the stomach from the inside.  This allows doctors to create a thumb sized pouch which holds a very small amount of food. Forming this small pouch will allow patients to receive a feeling of satiety after a small meal, thus allowing the patient to be satisfied with a smaller portion of food.

This surgery is intended to be safer and easier for patients to recover from. However, the sugery isn’t as easy as it is made out to be.  General anesthesia is administered to the patient and they are placed on a respirator.  Then a dilator is threaded down the patient’s throat to stretch their esophagus.  Next, their stomach is inflated with carbon dioxide to make a space to work in.  Another wide tube, about 2 feet long, will contain the stapler, is then inserted.  After the stapler is positioned it is activated and a sail and cuving wire comes out to move the folds of the stomach.  Next a vacuum pump will be used to move parts of the front and back walls of the stomach so that they are into the device so that they can be stapled together.  This procedure requires 3 rows of staples, however the stapler only holds one row of staples.  Unfortunately the device has to be taken out, rinsed, reloaded, and reinserted back down the throat and repositioned to staple each row.  In all, the surgery takes 3 hours

Just like other bariatric surgeries, the patient is placed on a full liquid diet for several weeks.  As with other surgeries the patient is also warned that eating too much or too fast will cause them to be ill.  Nutritionists say that the ideal time to lose weight is about 6 to 12 months after surgery. Until that time, they body will try to reject the surgery by absorbing an excess amount of nutrients.

98 patients in Mexico and Europe have had the new surgery . Those who have reached the one-year bench mark have lost an average of 40% of their excess weight.  Currently in the U.S. the procedure is still in the experimental stages and has only been performed a few times during a paid study from the from the devices maker, Satiety, Inc.

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