Spanish doctors perform more than 1,500 POSE weight loss procedures

Spanish doctors are leading the way by performing more than 1,500 procedures of the scar-free, non invasive, weight loss method of Primary Obesity Surgery, Endolumenal, known as POSE. Over thirty Spanish doctors have now performed more cases in Spain (where 1 in 6 people are obese) than in any other part of the world.

“I thought that a scar-free, trans-oral, and durable endoscopic weight-loss procedure was very needed. Since POSE became available I've completed 250 interventions and I am confident that my patients lose weight feeling less hunger and earlier satiety.”

Launched in Spain in 2010, POSE is designed to help patients reduce hunger and feel full sooner, resulting in weight loss. The procedure is performed by doctors using an endoscope, where tools passed down through the patient's mouth to grasp tissue and create multiple folds in the stomach to reduce the stomach size. POSE came to Spain from USGI Medical, a US based company that specializes in incisionless surgery.

Dr. Roman Turro from the GI Endoscopy Department at the Centro Medico Teknon, Barcelona, where POSE has been performed since February 2010 with well over 100 cases completed, said: "POSE has proved to be a safe and efficacious procedure over the last two years. The results in our unit show on average weight loss in excess of 55% in the first 6 months and over 70% after 12 months from the procedure. POSE is offered alongside nutritional and lifestyle work with the patients modifying their diet and exercise behavior, which contributes to the success of POSE. Patients benefit from minimal intervention and a rapid return to normal activity."

Dr. Valenti Puig-Divi, Director of Bariatric Endoscopy at the Clínica Opción Médica, Barcelona, who has performed over 300 cases said: "In the majority of cases, the POSE procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, meaning for the patient less impact on their daily life. The post-operation recovery is usually rapid, with a minimal impact on patient's daily activities, allowing patients to go back to work in no more than 3-4 days.

"The POSE technique allows the patient to feel satiety through a double mechanism, partly because of the gastric modification and partly due to a slower gastric emptying, resulting in a more controlled and healthy weight loss process. Those changes provide the patient with an ideal scenario to achieve a change in their habits."

In Spain, 2 out of 3 men are overweight and 1 in 3 children aged 13 to 14 are overweight, one of the highest child obesity rates in the world. The proportion of adults who are overweight is projected to rise a further 10% during the next 10 years.

Dr. Gontrand Lopez-Nava, from the bariatric endoscopy unit of Sanchinarro University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, who is one of the leading POSE physicians in the world having performed the procedure for over two years, stated: "I thought that a scar-free, trans-oral, and durable endoscopic weight-loss procedure was very needed. Since POSE became available I've completed 250 interventions and I am confident that my patients lose weight feeling less hunger and earlier satiety."