WEDNESDAY, April 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Bariatric embolization is well tolerated in severely obese adults and is associated with weight loss for up to 12 months, according to a study published online April 2 in Radiology.
Clifford R. Weiss, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues conducted a prospective study involving 20 participants with a mean body mass index of 45 ± 4.1 kg/m² to examine the safety and efficacy of bariatric embolization. Using 300- to 500-µm embolic microspheres, transarterial embolization of the gastric fundus was performed.
The researchers found that for all participants, bariatric embolization was performed successfully with no major adverse events. A total of 11 minor adverse events were experienced by eight participants. Mean excess weight loss was 8.2, 11.5, 12.8, and 11.5 percent at one, three, six, and 12 months, respectively. Mean Short-Form 36 Health Survey scores increased from baseline to 12 months (mental component summary, from 46 ± 11 to 50 ± 10; P = 0.44; physical component summary, from 46 ± 8 to 50 ± 9.3; P = 0.15); the mean impact of weight on quality-of-life scores increased significantly (from 57 ± 18 to 77 ± 18; P < 0.001). For four weeks after embolization, hunger or appetite decreased, and it increased thereafter without reaching pre-embolization levels.
“Bariatric embolization is well tolerated and promotes clinically relevant weight loss in adults with severe obesity,” the authors write. “It may provide needed assistance to patients who are struggling to succeed in lifestyle modification-based weight loss programs.”
Several authors disclosed financial ties to biopharmaceutical, medical device, and medical technology companies, including Siemens Healthineers, Merit Medical, and TriSalus Life Sciences, which provided funding for the study.
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