What Is Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG)?

When you’re obese — having a body mass index (BMI) of 30-39 — or severely obese — with a BMI of 40 or more — your life is at risk. Obesity greatly increases your chance of developing life-threatening illnesses and conditions, including:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Severe sleep apnea
• Certain types of cancer

Even if you have a positive body image and accept your larger size, you’re still at risk. For your own health, it’s to your benefit to lose those unneeded pounds and develop a lifestyle that can keep them off and keep you safe. 

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an advanced procedure in which your doctor reduces the size of your stomach with sutures — making no incisions. The ESG is an outpatient procedure, and you can go home the same day.

Fellowship-trained bariatric specialist Jon Williams, MD, performs ESG in the comfort and safety of the Slim Vegas Bariatric & General Surgery clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. A typical qualifying ESG patient can lose up to 50% of the excess body weight during the first 6 months and up to 80% of excess body weight after one year of the procedure. With lifestyle changes, you are able to keep the excess weight off. 

Are you a candidate?

Not everyone who’s obese or severely obese is a candidate for ESG. Even though the procedure isn’t surgical, it’s still traumatic for your body, it requires adherence to lifestyle changes, and it should only be considered when other methods have failed. 

During the screening process, we determine if you’re likely to benefit from ESG. You’re not a candidate if you have:

• Underlying serious health conditions
• A large hiatal hernia
• Gastritis
• Peptic ulcer disease
• A history of poor compliance
• Unrealistic expectations

You shouldn’t be pregnant when you undergo ESG. We also recommend that you quit smoking for at least eight weeks before the procedure to minimize your risk of bleeding problems.

What happens during ESG

Even though you don’t have to go to a hospital for the procedure, you’re asleep during ESG. We safely administer general anesthesia to control pain.

Instead of reaching your stomach through an incision, Dr. Williams inserts a long, thin tool called an endoscope into your mouth and threads it down through your esophagus until it reaches your stomach. The endoscope contains a miniature camera and light, and he views the tissues on a large-screen monitor in real time.

After positioning the endoscope, he inserts suturing tools through the tube and then places about eight sutures in your stomach. When he tightens the sutures, it draws the front and back walls of your stomach together. The entire procedure takes about 60-90 minutes.

The procedure reduces the volume of your stomach by about 70%. The sutures also change the profile of your stomach into a tube shape.

What happens after ESG

After you awaken from your operation, you stay at our office for a while so we can make sure you recover well. Somebody needs to drive you home, as you’ll be too groggy to drive or use public transportation. 

For the first eight hours, you must refrain from consuming any type of solid or liquid foods — only drink clear liquids, such as water or broth. You add food back in gradually to avoid stressing your stomach, which can only accept small amounts at a time.

During the first week after ESG, you stick to protein-powder drinks and water, with no caffeine or alcohol. By the second week, you can add in mashed, soft foods as long as they’re low in sugar and also low in fat.

You start eating small portions of food after one month. You won’t be able to eat the same amounts that you did before your procedure because your sutured stomach isn’t large enough to accommodate them. 

You must change your lifestyle

Not only do you have to change the kinds of foods you eat, concentrating on healthy, whole foods, but you must also adopt some new eating habits that improve your digestion and don’t stress your new stomach. You must:

• Chew your food thoroughly
• Eat slowly
• Eat no more than one cup of food per meal
• Stop eating when you feel full
• Stay hydrated with water and healthy liquids

For the rest of your life, you should focus on eating only foods that are healthy, low in sugar, low in fat, and low in calories. We help you make the changes you need for success, and we’re always here when you need support.

Are you ready to change your life and take charge of your health with ESG? Contact our knowledgeable and supportive team by phone or online for an ESG consultation today.