Saint James Hospital has achieved another first in the field of weight loss surgery, this time through the addition of a MiniMIZER Ring during a gastric sleeve procedure, a procedure which is intended to help patients lose more weight and strongly reduce the likelihood of regaining weight following such surgery.
The MiniMIZER Ring is a certified surgical implant and is made of medical grade silicone, which means the body does not react to the presence of the ring on the stomach.
After reducing the size of the stomach during the gastric sleeve operation, the surgeon places the MiniMIZER RING around the top of the reduced stomach, with its final effect being that of supporting long- term and sustainable weight loss, allowing the patient to take control of his or her weight and assist with the change needed in the patient’s eating behaviour.
The MiniMIZER Ring is placed around the reduced stomach, such that there is an extra delay for the passage of food, resulting in the patient feeling satisfied sooner and thus, reducing food intake.
Saint James Hospital CEO Jean Claude Muscat said that this is another first for Malta, and the introduction of the new procedure within the Saint James Weight Management Institute is testimony to the group’s commitment to offer innovative procedures using the very latest technology and services in the field of weight loss surgery.
The team of general surgeons at the Saint James Weight Management Institute made up of surgeons Predrag Andrejevic, Clifford Caruana and Andrea Formiga said that while the benefits of bariatric surgery are well-known to all, the MiniMIZER ring offers the additional advantage of prolonging the benefits of bariatric surgery.
Testimony to the group’s commitment to offer innovative services
Several clinical trials have demonstrated an additional advantage for patients undergoing various types of bariatric surgery including sleeve gastrectomy, mini-bypass or OAGB and the classic bypass also known as roux en y gastric bypass.
Across all these procedures the MiniMizer ring prevents dilatation of the gastric remnant, leading to sustained weight loss and the maintenance of healthy weight.
The surgeons jointly stated that statistics and studies confirmed that “more than half of the patients with a standard gastric sleeve gradually regained weight five years after the operation but with a MiniMIZER RING around the gastric sleeve, only 10% of patients regain weight after more than five years, with none of them requiring additional surgery due to weight regain”.
Therefore, they continued, incorporating a MiniMIZER Ring during a gastric sleeve procedure enhances weight loss outcomes and strongly decreases the risk of weight regain and the need for reoperation, compared to standard sleeve gastrectomy.
The ring is also used around the gastric pouch during gastric bypass surgery to prevent pouch dilation over time, which can lead to weight regain. In fact, they said, it serves as supplementary support for maintaining weight loss over the years and encourages a shift towards a healthier lifestyle.
The Saint James Weight Management Institute, a state-of-the art medical facility provided by Saint James Hospital Group, offers an extensive range of weight loss solutions. These include endoluminal, bariatric and cosmetic surgeries.