GASTRIC BOTOX
Botulinum toxin – a protein and neurotoxin synthesized by a bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum – reduces the muscular activity by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine from neurons.
Gastric botox injection is an endoscopic procedure that does not require hospitalization and it helps subjects to lose weight by temporarily suppressing the contraction of gastric muscles. Upon the completion of this procedure, patients can feel satiated quicker and sensation of fullness takes longer, both translating into weight loss.
Preparation:
Botox is injected in an endoscopic procedure. The patient should not eat anything for at least eight hours before the procedure.
Before the procedure:
The patient will be advised to present to the hospital approximately 30-60 minutes before the procedure. After necessary preparations are completed, the patient will be asked to lay down on the left side while in the endoscopy room. Meanwhile, the patient will be administered sedation anesthesia, which is a mild form of anesthesia.
During Procedure:
Your bariatric surgeon will evaluate your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum with endoscope under sedation analgesia and verify if anything contraindicates the procedure. Botox will suppress the contraction of gastric muscles and delay the gastric emptying. For this end, botox will be injected into many points on the inner surface of the stomach.
Endoscopic Gastric Botox is a treatment that aims weight loss and it takes approximately 20-25 minutes. After the procedure is completed, the patient is asked to stay at the hospital for about 2-3 hours. The patient may resume activities of daily life after having a rest for a day.
Advantages of Endoscopic Gastric Botox
- It is not a surgery.
- It is a very short-lasting procedure. The procedure takes approximately 20 minutes and the patient may leave the hospital after 3-hour observation.
- General Anesthesia is not necessary.
- No preparation is required before the procedure, except staying hungry for about 8-10 hours before the procedure and several simple tests.
- It bears all the risks that also apply to standard endoscopic procedure.
- If deemed necessary, the treatment may be repeated 6 months later.
However, we must express that the success rate is not as high as bariatric surgery or gastric balloon, and the repeated injections may not yield the same results every time.
