Weight Loss

Transoral Gastroplasty (TOGA) is yet another weight loss surgery that could help you get rid of all your excessive weight quite effectively. It is a surgical procedure that involves stapling the stomach to form a thumb sized tube capable of holding only a small amount of food.

What is the best thing about TOGA is that there is no cutting involved in the entire procedure. The stapler is inserted through your throat and thereafter the stomach is stapled from the inside. Transoral Gastroplasty belongs to a new school of surgeries that focus on making use of natural orifices like mouth in place of cuts and slits in the skin.

Reports state that most of the people who have undergone TOGA have been able to lose almost 40 percent of their excess body weight after getting through it. There is no denying of the fact that people who under go gastric bypass lose slightly more weight as compared to TOGA but then it being a 'no-cut' procedure obviously helps it score above all the other weight loss surgeries.

Make a note that TOGA weight loss surgery is not yet approved by FDA and is till under trial. As soon as it gains approval, it is sure to turn out as a very successful and popular weight loss surgery in no time.

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and takes a couple of hours to get completed. The stapler is feeded through your mouth after you have sedated perfectly. Then an endoscope is inserted in to the stomach so that the surgeon is able to see the inside of the whole area. To carry out the process, the stomach is inflated with the help of carbon dioxide so that there is space for the stapler to work. Thus, the complete stomach is reduced to the size of a golf ball which makes you feel fuller even when you have eaten much less than normal.

Who can go through TOGA?

Since TIGA is not yet FDA approved, it is only available via clinical trials for people having BMI in between 35 to 55. Those interested in the study have to be obese for at least more than two years and should have failed to respond to any of the traditional methods of weight loss.

Advantages and disadvantages of TOGA

The biggest advantage of TOGA is that it involves no incision. No wounds means no recovery time in most of the cases. Since the procedure is still under trial it is a little difficult to throw light on all the possible advantages and disadvantages. But, the fact remains plain that there are very few disadvantages involved in it.