Bariatric Surgery is any surgery intended for the treatment for Morbid Obesity and diabetes. A similar procedure can now be performed using the upper GI endoscopy without the need for an actual surgery. This is called Endoscopic Sleeve gastroplasty, performed using a specialized device called Apollo Overstitch inserted through an endoscope.
This procedure requires specialized training to perform the procedure and was introduced for the first time in South India at Gem Hospital.
All morbidly obese individuals who are unable to lose weight by conventional means are eligible for the procedure. However, specific indications include patients with a BMI of 27-35, patients unfit for a bariatric surgery and patients anxious about having to undergo a bariatric surgery.
Dr. Praveen Raj, Head, Dept of Bariatric Surgery at Gem Hospital said, “the introduction of endoscopic procedures is more patient driven who fear going under the knife for the purposes of weight reduction and should be a big draw amongst the patient community”.