Gastric Bypass Performed with No Incision

Posted: May 28 in Weight Loss Surgery by Staff

A new weight loss procedure was performed for the first time earlier this year, that promises weight loss patients an incision-less option for bariatric surgery. POSE (Primary Obesity Surgery, Endoscopy) was performed at the Central Baptist Hospital, one of a few national hospitals pioneering the procedure. According to the endoscopic bariatric surgeon, “eliminating skin incisions offers important advantages including faster recovery time, reduced risk of infection, less post-surgery pain and no scaring.”

Gastric bypass surgery has typically been performed using laparoscopic techniques where a very small incision is made. Laparoscopic techniques typically result in the patient needing to remain in the hospital for a couple of days while the incision heals. However, without the risk of infection, the 51-year-old patient who received the ground-breaking surgery was able to return home the same day.

The POSE technique allows doctors to enter through the esophagus instead of through an incision. The technique uses a flexible endoscope to observe the stomach and the procedure, and a second specialized endoscopic surgical system to perform the procedure.

Gastric bypass revision surgeries using a transoral (through the mouth) approach such as the StomaphyX and ROSE procedures are now available in select centers across the United States. POSE is still in its clinical trial phase so that information about its clinical outcomes can be evaluated.

Many bariatric surgeons believe that incionless bariatric surgeries such as ROSE, EsophyX and now POSE, indicate a new trend in weight loss surgery that has progressed from large open incisions, to laparoscopic surgery with several small holes, to single incision procedures (SILS), and now to no incisions at all.