http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/20/...in4111747.shtml


"Using a tiny sewing machine that is advanced down through the mouth and into the stomach, doctors are successfully reducing the size of obese teens' tummies - and helping them to shed unhealthy pounds.

So far, 12 adolescents aged 14 to 17 have undergone the procedure. Their average weight dropped from 236 pounds before the procedure to 187 pounds six months afterward.

On average, the teens lost 60% of their excess weight in six months, says Roberto Fogel, MD, of the Hospital de Clinicas Caracas in Venezuela. Fogel invented the procedure.

There were no serious complications, and the patients left the hospital a few hours after the 40-minute procedure. One played softball that night, Fogel says.

The findings were presented at Digestive Disease Week 2008 in San Diego.


How It Works

The incisionless technique involves sewing the front and the back of the stomach together. This creates a smaller stomach pouch, thus limiting how much food you can eat.

Also, food moves more slowly from the top of the stomach to the bottom because only a small opening is left between the two.

"Imagine taking a plastic bag and going two-thirds of the way up or one-third of the way down. Then you sew the front to the back wall, but you leave a little opening between the two," says Mark DeLegge, MD. "

Well that's new! Do they feel anything after or something?

That's just like gastric bypass only instead of removing part of the stomach, they sew it up. I know a woman that had the gastric bypass done. . .it didn't help her any. If you eat too much you throw up, and she would just eat and eat regardless. ..and eventually her stomach stretched back out. I think its dangerous. . .certainly your stomach could only withstand so much stretching, right? I don't know because I'm not a doctor or anything, but it just seems logical. I got really big when I was pregnant, and I lost weight the normal way. . .exercising and not overeating. . .

my sister in laws dad went in for the gastric banding..and boy, is he lucky to be alive.. they somehow nicked the bowel, and he had the contents escaping into his abdominal cavity.. he left the hospital feeling unwell with a temperature (a big no no) and went to a doc the next day... they put him back in to hospital and was in an induced coma for 2 weeks. he developed a clot in his foot and nearly lost his foot.

the silly bugger went back in a couple of years later and had it done again... it has worked for him which is good, and he can have the band tightened if he wants.. but for me, i just cant fathom how someone can get so big.. surely you can see yourself like that? (i understand that there are a lot of hormonal issues that can lead to weight can as well as meds) but i guess at the end of the day, ppl want to change for themselves only. and wont lose the weight unless they truly want too

Very nice, but how much does it cost?

Normally this kind of thing... sounds relatively cheap.

you're right .. could be a catcher ..