Minimally Invasive Weight-Loss Surgery Proves Promising

NEW YORK—Minimally invasive surgeries have become a trend that is providing patients with less pain, less risk and a speedy recovery. Recently, the The New York Times reported on a new weight-loss surgery in which surgeons pass a stapler down a patient’s throat and stapled the stomach from the inside, with no cutting required. According to the Times, “other surgeons have used similar techniques to remove the appendix through the mouth and the gallbladder through the vagina.”

The new weight-loss surgery technique called Toga has been preformed on 98 patients in Mexico and Europe over the past two to three years. The Times reported, “on average, those who have passed the one-year mark have lost about 40 percent of their excess weight. Only time will tell whether they will be able to avoid gaining it back.”

Experts say minimally surgeries are promising and seem to "offer a drastic eduction in side effects and risk."