Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty or Endoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy is a non-surgical bariatric technique in which, instead of making an incision in the abdominal wall, the doctor uses an endoscopic device through the mouth and into the stomach to make folds and sutures the stomach into a sleeve shape, reducing its size and food capacity. The suture used will remain in the stomach permanently, as it is non-absorbable.
It is a medical procedure performed through an endoscope, which is a thin tube with a camera at its end. This procedure is used to treat overweight and obesity. It is an alternative to weight loss surgery.
The material used in Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty is resistant to digestion in the stomach, which creates a small pouch and reduces the size of the stomach. This helps to control the amount of food that can be consumed, leading to significant weight loss.
The duration of this procedure is approximately 1 and a half hours, it is performed under general anesthesia, and has a recovery time of 8 hours, so in most cases, hospitalization is not required. Once the recovery time is completed, a liquid diet is started and the stages of food are progressed in a manner similar to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery.
This procedure is ideal for patients with a BMI between 29 to 33 or patients who do not want to undergo laparoscopic surgery. A weight loss of around 30% of excess weight is estimated at 12 months and at 24 months, it can reach 35 to 38%, so weight loss is not expected to be equal to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, however, the shape given to the stomach is very similar.