Obesity, diabetes combatting device safe for treatment

A non-surgical and reversible device for people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity is safe, effective and should be rolled out across the National Health Service (NHS), researchers say.

The device -- Endobarrier -- is a reversible treatment that provides people with an alternative to drastic gastric bypass surgery.

It prevents food from coming into contact with the first part of the small intestine, but without painful invasive surgery.

Endobarrier consists of a 60-cm-long tube-like liner or sleeve that coats the inside of the small intestine, allowing food to pass through but not to be absorbed, which can be removed after a year.

The procedure aims to kick start a change in lifestyle and help people achieve better health, improve diabetes control as well as promote weight loss, the researchers said.

The Endobarrier therapy could be "highly effective in patients with obesity and diabetes that has been very hard to treat, with high patient satisfaction levels, and an acceptable safety profile", said Robert Ryder and colleagues from City Hospital, Birmingham

"The Endobarrier service could be a safe and cost-effective treatment for the NHS -- it does not involve surgery and patients do not have to stay in hospital (so reducing the risk of infection)," Ryder added.

For the study, presented at 2017 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Portugal, the team investigated whether this new therapy could be translated into major clinical success by creating a small NHS Endobarrier service for people having difficulties managing their Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Participants reported considerable improvements in wellbeing, energy, and the ability to exercise, with around 94 per cent saying that they would recommend the service to their friends and family.