A procedure which reduces the size of the stomach by two-thirds to help people living with obesity to lose weight has been deemed safe and effective to be used in the NHS, NICE has said.
Draft guidance from NICE states that the evidence shows endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is safe in the short and long term when combined with lifestyle changes and could help with weight loss in people with a BMI over 30, who have not lost weight with lifestyle modification alone, and who are not suitable or do not wish to undergo bariatric surgery.
NICE’s interventional procedures advisory committee has reviewed the evidence behind ESG which is minimally invasive, takes up to 90 minutes to complete, and patients can usually go home on the same day. The stomach is not cut or removed, and the procedure may be reversible. Sections of the stomach wall are folded and stitched together to reduce its size to create a tube-like sleeve. The aim is to reduce the volume of the stomach and therefore limit the amount of food which can be eaten at one time and make one feel fuller soon.
Published clinical trial research found 59 (77%) of 77 participants lost 25% or more of their original weight a year after having the procedure. NICE’s committee has recommended the procedure is only carried out in specialist centres by a clinician with specific training and experience in the procedure and on patients selected by a multidisciplinary team experienced in managing obesity.
