UNIVERSITY Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire is offering endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) on the National Health Service in a bid to tackle increasing obesity rates.
Updated guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recorded over 1million hospital admissions were linked to obesity last year.
ESG is a minimally invasive treatment for weight loss, providing patients with a viable alternative to traditional interventions such as prescription weight loss drugs or bariatric surgery.
The procedure involves reducing the stomach’s volume by 70 to 80 per cent, therefore limiting food intake and has been deemed safe in both the short and long-term when combined with lifestyle changes, according to NICE.
Dr Jamie Kelly, upper gastro-intestinal lead surgeon at University Hospital Southampton, said: “The NICE guidance is fantastic news for patients by giving them another treatment option.
“Increasing patient access to treatment requires making them aware of this option and training more surgeons and physicians to perform the procedure.”
Clinical studies have shown promising outcomes, with 77 per cent of patients experiencing significant weight loss one year post-procedure.
Astrid Monteau, vice president EMEA of endoscopy at Boston Scientific, emphasised the importance of addressing obesity-related health inequalities, particularly among women and certain ethnic minority groups.
“The publication of NICE’s guidance offers a pathway to reduce pressure on the healthcare system as patients have shorter recovery times and because this procedure can be performed as a day case.”
