Dr.Weight // Bariatric surgery // Operations aimed at reducing appetite

Operations aimed at reducing appetite

Bariatric Surgery - DoctorWeight.com – 2008

These operations are least popular and still in the phase of scientific investigation. Their efficacy remains unproven.

In 1974 Quaade performed electrocautery (electrical burning) of the specific zones of the brain, responsible for appetite. Three of five patients showed some weight reduction, which was unstable. In all five the weight returned to the original level. This operation is no longer performed now.

The other approach was developed by Dr. Cigaina from Italy (1996). He proposed to suture electrodes of an electronic pacemaker to the stomach wall. The pacemaker was implanted under the abdominal skin. A specific mode of electric impulses produced the relaxation of the stomach wall. It is known that such a relaxation takes place in a man after meals. As the pacemaker worked permanently, the relaxation of the stomach wall was stable. This relaxation produced the feeling of satiety. An alternative explanation was that the artificial electric impulses go to the satiety zone of the brain through the so-called vagus nerve (the main nerve of the stomach).

Unfortunately, this method was not especially effective as patients mostly lost only a few kilograms – a poor return when the pacemaker itself costs more than 10000 US dollars. On the other hand, this method might be useful in the future, possibly to maintain weight reduced by some other therapeutic option.

• Operations aimed at decreasing absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract
• Operations aimed at narrowing the stomach
• Operations aimed at reducing appetite
• Intragastric balloon for loss of excessive weight