Oct
06
The Skinny on Weight Loss Medications Diet and exercise can only take some people so far: many of our patients...
When it comes to weight loss surgery, there is no one-size-fits-all approach: what works well for one patient may not be the ideal solution for another. Bariatric surgery can be an invaluable tool in a patient’s weight loss journey, but each procedure is associated with different benefits and risks that need to be carefully considered in light of a patient’s unique goals and needs.
In recent years, a relatively new weight loss procedure called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has emerged as a strong alternative for patients who might otherwise pursue laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (or gastric sleeve). Both procedures are designed to reduce the size of a patient’s stomach by up to 70%, greatly restricting the amount of food that person is able to consume and ideally leading to significant weight loss. The gastric sleeve procedure achieves this by surgically removing a large portion of the stomach, while doctors non-surgically decrease the size of the stomach during ESG by folding and suturing it.
Is ESG Better than the Gastric Sleeve?
Not necessarily. As our own Dr. Sherman Yu states in this video, the key when deciding which procedure to perform on a particular patient is to evaluate the proposed benefits against the known risks.
Patients find ESG especially appealing because it is less invasive and is associated with a lower risk profile. However, this procedure is better-suited for individuals who are not morbidly obese, and patients who undergo gastric sleeve surgery tend to lose more weight, which makes a slightly higher risk profile worthwhile.
For a more detailed comparison of ESG vs. gastric sleeve, please view the chart below:
| Sleeve Gastrectomy | Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) | |
|---|---|---|
| Procedure Description | Laparoscopic tools are inserted through small abdominal incisions and used to surgically remove up to 75% of the stomach and reduce production of hunger hormones | Tools are passed through the patient’s mouth, then used to fold and suture the stomach to decrease its size by up to 70% |
| Candidates |
|
Obese patients with BMI of 30 or higher |
| Hospital Stay | Overnight minimum | Outpatient |
| Recovery | Roughly 2 weeks | 1-2 days |
| Scarring | Small abdominal scars | None |
| Average Weight Loss at Two Years | 60-70% | 50% |
| History and Results | Most frequently-performed bariatric surgery procedure; verified long-term results | A relatively new procedure (2 years), long-term results not yet documented |
| Risk Profile | Higher risk | Lower risk |
Contact TLC Surgery
If you are considering bariatric surgery, the best way to determine which type of procedure is best for you is to consult with a doctor you trust. At Texas Laparoscopic Consultants, we offer a full range of surgical and non-surgical weight loss treatments and have been helping patients just like you achieve a healthy weight for more than 10 years. To learn more about your options and whether you are a candidate for ESG or another weight loss surgery, please contact us to schedule a consultation.
