One of the first-ever nonsurgical procedures to restrict the size of the stomach and combat obesity was performed this week in Columbia.The procedure is among a handful of clinical trials at nine sites around the country, including University Hospital. It uses a device known as the TOGA System short for transoral gastroplasty designed by Satiety Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, this would be the first procedure of its type to not leave a scar.The TOGA device looks and acts like a long, narrow stapler. It reduces the size of the stomach by being inserted through the mouth, vacuuming in stomach walls and fastening the walls together with a strip of titanium staples. The end result is a narrow passage for food to pass through before it is deposited into the base of the stomach and the intestine.Because of the smaller stomach size, patients report feeling full after ingesting only a small amount of food. According to preliminary results, people who have the procedure can lose as much as 40 percent of excess body weight within the first year.The first two procedures performed locally were done Monday by surgeons Brent Miedema and Klaus Thaler. The surgeons said the minimally invasive procedure might be a great option for obese patients who need to quickly shed pounds for their health. ...(...)You can read the whole article at: Columbia Tribune.com (author: T.J.Greaney; published: 1/31/2009)
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