Mar 25, 2008 3:16 pm US/Eastern
Tufts Doctors Test Alternative To Gastric Bypass
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Many people who could benefit from gastric bypass and other procedures don't because they're reluctant to undergo surgery.
But now some local doctors are testing a new device that could offer a less invasive option for those patients, in the future.
Lauren Sacco Plausky has struggled to lose weight all her life .
She explains, "When I was 30ish, I had a health scare, my hands and feet began to swell."
That's when Lauren decided to undergo gastric bypass, a decision that improved her health and her outlook on life.
"I've lost 101 pounds. I feel vastly different physically, mentally I feel like a new person- I'm a lot happier and grateful for gastric bypass," says Lauren.
But gastric bypass can be risky and many patients are reluctant to undergo surgery.
Now researchers at Tufts Medical Center are testing a new less invasive alternative called VBLOC, an electrical device which is implanted on the vagus nerve near the stomach.
The device blocks impulses from the vagus nerve which controls communication between the brain and stomach and tells it when it feels full.
Patients wear a belt with a power pack around their waist when they eat.
"By temporarily shutting down the output of the nerve, we can cause people to eat less and lose weight," says Dr. Scott Shikora of Tufts Medical Center.
Hopefully it will offer a new option for patients who don't want to undergo gastric bypass like Lauren did.
Researchers are looking for severely obese patients ages 18 to 65 to take part in the study.
If you're interested please call 1-866-291-9146 for more information or
follow this link.
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