April 13, 2016 – Obesity Technique

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Anchor lead:  Cutting off blood to one part of the stomach may help weight loss, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Can cutting off the blood supply to a very defined area of the stomach result in weight loss?  Yes, according to early results from a clinical trial underway at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere.  The technique, known as bariatric embolization, was developed by Clifford Weiss and colleagues.

Weiss: This is literally the earliest of trials.  We’re showing that at about one month 7% decrease in excess body weight, at 3 months a 9.6% decrease in excess body weight, and at six months with a smaller sample because the patients are still in process, we’re seeing about a 13% drop in excess body weight. That’s really exciting and gives us a lot of evidence to proceed with the trial and then hopefully to proceed on with the next stage of the trial.  :28

Weiss says the technique compares well with things like the gastric sleeve, resulting in moderate weight loss over time, and must be undertaken in a multidisciplinary approach to losing weight.  At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.