Minimally Invasive Incisionless Procedures

EBTs (Endoscopic Bariatric Therapies) are procedures and not surgery as there is no incision. They are performed with an endoscope passed through the mouth and down into the stomach. The most commonly recognized EBT is the intragastric balloon. It is an approved procedure by the ASMBS and not considered experimental. Unfortunately, the weight loss is less than with traditional surgery and the balloon must be removed at 6 months so the weight loss beyond 1 year is not known. A newer EBT is the ESG (endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty) where the stomach is shaped like the stomach is with a laparoscopic sleeve however the suturing is done from inside the stomach and no stomach is removed. At the time the intragastric balloon was being evaluated by the ASMBS in 2015, there was not enough data on the ESG to evaluate it and recommend it as an approved procedure, however there are newer studies that show the weight loss for ESG is superior to that of the balloon and when the ASMBS does evaluate the ESG in the near future, it should no longer be considered experimental. Other advantages of EBTs is that there is no incision so there is faster recovery and no exercise restriction as with surgery.