keep the device implanted for a year, but have the option of keeping it
in longer. Some patients who like having control over their caloric
intake do opt to keep the device in place for longer periods.
At first glance this is a concept that's disturbing to some people,
because it doesn't fit with the typical treatment paradigms for
weight loss. It's true that the solution is far different than conven-
tional treatment options and will likely be accepted, at least initially,
by a unique set of patients who find it to be the right answer to
achieving their weight-loss goals. The procedure has shown excel-
lent weight-loss results in international trials and has demonstrated
superiority over medical treatment options in FDA trials. Some type
of treatment is certainly better than no treatment or ineffective
treatment, so this device may find a place in our armamentarium. It
will take time to find out, though, and until we have more data in the
U.S. with its use, I don't think it will be widely adopted.
OSM
1 0 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 7
Dr. Brethauer (brethauers@ccf.org) is a staff bariatric surgeon at the Cleveland
Clinic in Ohio who specializes in weight-loss surgery.
