UK clinicians were told this week of a new device that aims to provide a solution for the growing number of obese people who have failed with diets and do not qualify for bariatric surgery.
The ReShape Duo was unveiled at the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society’s 3rd annual scientific conference in Bristol last week.
Designed by Southern Californian firm, ReShape Medical, it is being pitched at the UK market, which, according to recent studies, currently has the worst obesity rates in Europe, with 24.5% of the adult population classed as obese, compared to 15.5% across 31 other European countries.
The device is designed to comfortably occupy existing space in the stomach for six months, serving as built-in portion control and leaving patients feeling full and satisfied with less food.
It is placed into the stomach during a 15-minute outpatient procedure under conscious sedation. There are no incisions, suturing or scars. Once in place, each balloon is filled with an evenly-distributed 900cc of saline and sealed, occupying 60% more space than a single balloon without over-distending the stomach. It also conforms better to its natural curvature to improve patient comfort during weight loss programmes, limiting early removals. The dual balloon design has also been found to help mitigate the risk of migration or obstruction.
After six months the device is removed through the mouth with an endoscope and then drained.
During tests in Europe over the past four years, patients have, on average, lost a third of their excess weight during the six-month period the balloon is fitted.
Currently it is being exclusively delivered through Healthier Weight’s network of weight loss centres across the UK. Its medical director, Dr David Ashton, said: “The ReShape Duo represents a real step forward, combining dual balloons with higher fill volumes for the potential of better weight loss. The ReShape Duo offers greater comfort and there’s a lower risk of early removal.”
US physician, Dr Brian Quebbemann, who was the first medic to treat patients with the ReShape Duo, added: “This may have an important role to play in the treatment of obesity as both a six-month jump-start to weight management and by providing a component of longer-term therapy.”