Laparoscopic Vertical Gastroplasty

A 2003 study, published in the Archives of Surgery, indicated that ‘vertical gastroplasty can benefit most patients with morbid obesity and should be more frequently used.’ And recently, the company, Power Medical Interventions(r), Inc. (PMI), introduced a medical device that facilitates a laparoscopic version of the surgery.

In vertical gastroplasty, a part of the stomach is stapled in such a way as to create a smaller stomach pouch. Vertical gastroplasty is a type of restrictive bariatric surgery which means that the patient’s food intake is limited by the surgery. Vertical gastroplasty is similar to sleeve gastrectomy.

In sleeve gastrectomy, a smaller stomach is made by sealing off part of the stomach using staples, and the unused part of the stomach is removed from the body. While vertical gastroplasty also seals off part of the stomach, resulting in a smaller stomach pouch, no part of the stomach is taken from the body in the surgery.

The device that PMI introduced is called the i60 Mid Cut device. The device can enable a doctor to perform vertical gastroplasty, laparoscopically, in approximately 30 minutes. As we’ve said before, laparoscopic bariatric surgery exposes the patient to less trauma and lowers recovery time.

As indicated on its Website, PMI is working on instruments that may allow vertical gastroplasty to be performed using a natural body orifice, such as the mouth, anus or vagina. Surgery using a natural orifice is often called Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery or NOTES.

Laparoscopic vertical gastroplasty -- even laparoscopic vertical gastroplasty performed using NOTES -- is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Still, laparoscopic vertical gastroplasty is an important step toward developing less invasive, effective forms of bariatric surgery.

Medical device providers, working on bariatric surgical instrumentation, may help increase bariatric surgical options. These device providers' efforts can increase the surgical options that bariatric surgical providers may offer, increasing the surgical choices for prospective bariatric patients. (Please leave a comment by clicking on the "COMMENTS" link at the lower right part of this blog post.)