Bariatric Arterial Embolisation (BAE): Non Surgical Procedure May Be The Answer For Severe Obesity

A treatment to prevent stomach bleeding may be the key to treating severe obesity, according to a new study. The non-invasive surgery seemed to decrease the production of a hormone called ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.

Led by Dr. Clifford Weiss, an associate professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the study studied seven severely obese but otherwise healthy adults, who had undergone an image-guided treatment called Bariatric arterial embolization (BAE), NDTV reports. The process is often used to stop serious stomach bleeding.

Obesity isn’t just unhealthy—it also creates a perceptual obstacle that limits physical activity: https://t.co/CfG1VeVqXM

— Psychology Today (@PsychToday) April 3, 2016

Bariatric Arterial Embolisation (BAE) and Obesity

UPI describes how Bariatric Arterial Embolisation (BAE) process is done: microscopic beads are injected into an artery, via a catheter usually inserted via the groin or wrist, towards the fundus -- a part of the stomach -- to decrease blood flow. That part of the stomach produces the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin. By lowering the ghrelin levels, eating habits are altered in the severely obese participants.

The seven severely obese participants, who have body mass index, ranging from 40 to 60, were found to shed off 5.9 percent of their excess weight after a month. The loss of excess weight was further increased to 13.3 percent after six months. The researchers did not any adverse effects in all seven participants.

Is BAE safe to use for weight loss?

While the study showed that non-surgical procedure has successfully aided in the weight loss of the participants, the researchers stressed that the findings are only preliminary. Weiss has noted that clinical trials are currently being run in the United States. The non-invasive procedure, however, is not endorsed by doctors as a means to treat obesity.

The study was designed to test the safety and the possibility of embolization as a treatment for obesity. Dr. Bruce Wolfe, a spokesperson for the Obesity Society, cited limitations of the study. He pointed out that long-term effects were not yet determined. He also asked if the procedure would have to be repeated to sustain the results. If this is the case, it could pose some risks.

Embolization may result in bleeding and infections. Worse, they could lead to nutritional deficiencies and highly dangerous hernias according to U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Weiss admitted that the findings are not conclusive or final. "The goal is to decrease a patient's hunger," he explained. "We see this as a tool to be used with proper diet and exercise." To know more about embolization, check out the video below: