Our stomach is an organ made up of 3 layers of muscle. The food we eat is broken down by the strong acid it secretes, and after a certain period of time, the partially digested food with the contraction movements of the stomach passes into the small intestines, where other stages of digestion take place.
Botulinum Toxin Injection into the Stomach
Botulinum toxin is obtained from a bacterium. It is frequently used in plastic surgery to prevent facial wrinkles. The purpose of botulinum toxin injection into the stomach is to partially paralyze the muscles of the stomach, slow down the stomach's work and gastric emptying, and provide a feeling of fullness for a long time. Studies have shown that the application of botulinum injection to the stomach also suppresses appetite hormones. In this way, weight loss is achieved by eating less and feeling full for a long time.
This method is not an operation. The procedure takes 15-20 minutes. After the patient is completely anesthetized, a certain dose of botulinum toxin is injected intramuscularly at nearly 20 points in the stomach, through the mouth, with endoscopy.
The applied injection is effective for 6 months. A second session may be required after 6 months.
In a limited number of studies, it has been shown that close to 20% of excess weight can be lost within a 1-year period with botulinum toxin injection into the stomach. There are also studies showing that it does not fully show the desired effect. One of them is our study with a small patient population (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33893767/)
Endoscopic application, being a short procedure and not having an operation are the biggest advantages, but it should not be forgotten that it does not provide weight loss as effectively as surgical methods (tube stomach surgery, gastric bypass).
In addition, it should be emphasized that this treatment should not be shown to people who need obesity surgery (tube stomach surgery), as a miracle method, and patients should be properly informed about it. Because it is very difficult to achieve effective weight loss with this method in overweight people.
Weight Loss Drugs
Needle therapy is the most popular among weight loss drugs these days. This treatment is similar to the insulin injection that diabetics apply to themselves every day. Before starting the treatment, people who want to lose weight are examined and the necessary blood tests are carried out to determine whether they are suitable for this treatment. This needle whets the appetite. In this way, people are expected to be full and lose weight by eating less. Every day, the person injects himself with an insulin injection into the navel area. The dose is increased every week in line with the doctor's recommendation. Some patients may experience nausea, which may prevent dose increase. If the person has lost a satisfactory weight after 5 weeks of treatment, the treatment is continued. However, if she has not lost any weight, the treatment is discontinued. A counterpart of this needle therapy, which is said to be more effective, applied in the form of weekly injections, has also been introduced to the market. However, this drug is still not available in our country and is quite expensive.
Both gastric botulinum toxin injection and drugs used for weight loss must be combined with the right diet and sports. If this is not done, it may be difficult to get the desired result from the treatment.
