Sticking to a weight loss plan can be difficult. With all of the food and drink temptations tempting us around every corner, it can be tough to stay low carb, low sugar and low fat. But sometimes, the weight still won't come off, despite diet exercise. That's where outside help comes in.

A procedure that was once commonly used to treat ulcers, called a vagotomy, is now being tested as a safe weight loss surgery. Doctors have modified the procedure so that it is safe and side effects are minimal -- and they've also made it a laparoscopic procedure.

For weight loss, the procedure can be done non-invasively with five small incisions in about 20 minutes. During a laparoscopic vagotomy, doctors actually go in and cut the vagus nerve in the esophagus.

Robert Lustig, M.D., from the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, said, "The vagus nerve is the energy storage nerve. That's its job. That’s part of why you get hunger is the vagus nerve from the stomach to the brain tells you, the stomach is empty, you need to eat."

By cutting the nerve, Lustig can eliminate the severe hunger that many obese patients report. Their hunger just simply goes away.

"The majority of the weight loss that's achieved is primarily in the first six months, nine months and then it definitely slows down. But they're not regaining it. They are actually keeping their weight down," said Lustig.

The approach for weight loss is still experimental and doctors need to test it further before it's ready for widespread use. A study in 30 patients found, of the 11 patients who had completed a six-month post-surgery follow-up, 10 of the 11 lost an average 18.4 percent of their excess body weight.

Researchers at Carolinas Medical Center are testing a new experimental device that may offer a less invasive weight loss alternative for patients who are seriously obese. It involves a device called an Endobarrier.

The Endobarrier is a sleeve that is placed in the body without surgery. It lines the first two feet of into the patient’s small intestine, to help them lose weight. The Endobarrier works by preventing food from being absorbed until it reaches the lower bowel. Patients who participated in a three month trial with the Endobarrier lost more weight than those who did not have the device. All of the participants in the short term study were at least 100 pounds overweight and were seeking weight loss surgery in the future.

Currently, the Endobarrier is being explored only on an experimental basis and only as a prelude to weight loss surgery and not as an alternative to surgery, but Carolinas Medical Center physician Dr. Keith Gersin said its future as a non-surgical alternative is exciting. Future studies will explore longer term weight loss effects of the Endobarrier device.

Additional Resources:

VBLOC Trial Screening
(866) 978-2562

Endobarrier
Carolinas Weight Management and Wellness Center
(704) 355-9484