Safer Alternative To Weight-Loss Surgery: Stomach Implants

Researchers and engineers have developed new options for people having difficulty losing weight: implantable devices that help people eat less without the trauma of surgery or the risky side effects of obesity drugs.

At least six new implants have been developed by medical device manufacturers. Most, but not all, are implanted through endoscopes that go in through the mouth. The devices are often removed after a desired amount of weight is lost. They work through different mechanisms to give patients a feeling of fullness before they have overeaten. Many have still not been approved by the FDA, but may be available in clinical trials.

Abiliti, made by IntraPace Inc., has been used for years in Europe and FDA approval is pending in the U.S. It works by sending electrical pulses to the stomach to make people feel full with smaller meals. It also sends signals to the brain to discourage snacking between meals and late at night.

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