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Obese Patients Have New Option - The Stomach Pacemaker

As America grows fatter, people and researchers are searching for a weight-loss treatment that works for the severely obese.

Drugs and surgery have been tried with varying degrees of success and risk - but now there's a possible new approach - a stomach pacemaker.

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As America's obesity epidemic reaches crisis proportions, it's clear that the usual advice, eat smaller portions, exercise, avoid fats isn't working.

Which may explain the boom in so-called obesity surgery, where the stomach is surgically reduced in size and the intestines partially bypassed. It's effective, but many people are understandably reluctant to take such a major step.

"I felt I needed some medical attack to the problem, but also I didn't feel I need to have a largely invasive process," says Charles Rose.

Not too long ago, Rose was pushing 330 pounds. The financial analyst had already had a hip replaced and knew other health problems were looming.

"I think there's a point in your life where you want to take corrective action and it had to be done for myself as well as for my family," Rose remembers.

But Rose was reluctant to go for the surgery, so he opted for an implantable device that's been called a pacemaker for the stomach.

It's put in laparoscopically, minimizing post-op pain and recuperation. But more importantly, it doesn't rearrange your intestinal tract.

Small electrodes are placed on the stomach where they'll stimulate the vagus nerves, sending impulses to the brain - fooling it into thinking you're full.

"I can tell that I get fuller sometimes faster," says Rose. "I can tell sometimes I can't eat anymore, where before I just kept on eating."

Obesity experts have worked out a computer questionnaire that figures out which patient is most likely to benefit from the pacemaker approach.

While the "full" effect seems to be long lasting, the weight loss is slower and less dramatic than with surgery.

"Some people lose 20 to 30 percent of their excess body weight," says Dr. Louis Aronne of New York Presbyterian Hospital, "which is a significant amount of weight."

Researchers are looking for more volunteers who are willing to have a pacemaker implanted.


http://www.wavy.com/global/story.as...tType=Printable