Gastric Pacemaker
Looks like it could be the wave of the future.
"'It reduces appetite. But unlike the other procedures, it doesn't change the shape or the size of the stomach,'... The device itself is similar to a heart pacemaker and about the size of a silver dollar. It is implanted in a one-hour procedure with general anesthesia. Surgeons use a laparoscope to make small holes in the abdominal wall down to the stomach and then attach two electrical wires right into the outer wall of the stomach. The wires send mild bursts of electricity throughout the stomach wall. The wires are powered by a battery in the pacemaker which is placed under the skin on the abdomen.
The result is that the stomach's nerves are stimulated, which fool[s] wearers into thinking their stomach is full."
This seems like a pretty nifty invention. Although you would have to be very careful you were getting enough nutrients and preserving your lean muscle mass (see below) through exercise. But for the extremely obese, it would be safer and less invasive than bypass surgery, right?
"'It reduces appetite. But unlike the other procedures, it doesn't change the shape or the size of the stomach,'... The device itself is similar to a heart pacemaker and about the size of a silver dollar. It is implanted in a one-hour procedure with general anesthesia. Surgeons use a laparoscope to make small holes in the abdominal wall down to the stomach and then attach two electrical wires right into the outer wall of the stomach. The wires send mild bursts of electricity throughout the stomach wall. The wires are powered by a battery in the pacemaker which is placed under the skin on the abdomen.
The result is that the stomach's nerves are stimulated, which fool[s] wearers into thinking their stomach is full."
This seems like a pretty nifty invention. Although you would have to be very careful you were getting enough nutrients and preserving your lean muscle mass (see below) through exercise. But for the extremely obese, it would be safer and less invasive than bypass surgery, right?
posted by mo pie at 1:21 PM
4 Comments:
I wonder if it would be as effective for people who are emotional eaters. I bet it would make a huge difference to people who just plain can't control portion size, but I get the impression that a high proportion of VERY overweight people also have a lot of psychological "food issues" that thsi might not address.
The shows I've watched that follow someone through gastric bypass surgery tend to give me the impression that a lot of people benefit psychologically from the massive lifechanging statement of going through major surgery, and they control their eating after surgery because they have no choice. Plus, having the surgery makes them focus on themselves and their health.
I bet this pacemaker thingy will be a great less invasive option for many, but I also bet it won't completely phase out stomach stapling and gastric bypasses.
Amazing the horrors people will endure just to fit some arbitrary standard of thinness! Maybe it is safer than weight loss surgery, but folks in the future will look at all these procedures as we do foot binding. "90% of people will never see outside the times they live in." Albert Einstein
I cannot wait until the pacemaker comes out, especially for a "sweet eater" like me. I want to address the emotional eating bit because emotional eating is very paradoxical. Having a tendency of gaining body fat knowing the next person eats anything and does anything at will and maintains a muscular physique because he/she was born with it is frustrating as is. We live in a society that hates us, and unless your born w/ the golden metabolism, Thin is a privilage of the rich. I know this from struggling with weight problems my entire life, and suffer the social and physical consequences to this day. Everybody enjoys good food reguardless of natural born physique, otherwise there would be no expensive resterants and people would just live off space food because it supplies all the nutrients needed and is fast and easier then sitting down to order or waiting in line at the store. Try this, imagine the skinny and trendy suddenly excepting one obese person, inviting them to all the events and get togethers beautiful people have (And trust me, they have them) and encouraged to particapate in all the activitys they do. This person shall lose all the weight and be emotionally cured! As we all know this will go over like poop in a punch bowl and never will happen. So emotional issuse are strictly tied to being fat in the first place, and the point of surgical weight loss is to lose the weight, keep it off in ALL SITUATIONS!! Good and bad, not gain and lose as the wind blows left or right. Thanks for taking the time to hear my thoughts
I had this procedure done in Germany. It has been quite remarkable. I have steadily lost weight for the last six months with little exercise. I feel so full I just can't overeat. I take vitamins to suppliment my now meager diet. I feel was definitely the right choice for me. A company in the US arranged it for me. They're called European Medical Tourist.
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