New white paper on potential role of EBTs in treating obesity

Societies explore role of endoscopy in treating obesity

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) have issued a new white paper on the potential role of endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBTs) in treating obesity and obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes.

The white paper entitled, "A Pathway to Endoscopic Bariatric Therapies," appears online in both GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD), the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

"The two societies formed a joint task force to identify opportunities where endoscopic treatments may play a role in improving patient outcomes and reducing costs," said Gregory G. Ginsberg, MD, FASGE, ASGE president and chair of the ASGE/ASMBS Task Force on EBT. "The white paper establishes the criteria for success as new technologies and procedures are developed."

According to the white paper, several EBTs are currently in different stages of development and include a wide variety of methods to induce weight loss and reduce obesity-related diseases and conditions.

EBTs are performed entirely through the gastrointestinal tract using thin flexible endoscopes and may offer patients an outpatient alternative to bariatric procedures including laparoscopic gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy.

"Endoscopic therapy has the potential to be applied across the continuum of obesity and metabolic disease," said Bipan Chand, MD, chairman, ASMBS Emerging Technology and Procedure Committee, and co-chair of the ASGE/ASMBS Task Force. "However, it is generally expected that endoscopic modalities achieve weight loss superior to that produced by medical and intensive lifestyle interventions, have a favorable risk/benefit profile and have scientific evidence to support its use."