The StomaphyX is a remarkable new technology that can be used to re-tighten a gastric bypass, and improve the results of other bariatric operations, without "surgery." The goal of most weight loss operations is to cause the patient to feel "full" with smaller amounts of food; this is called "restriction." Sometimes the body will "stretch out" months or years after the surgical procedure is done and the person will notice that they are eating more and regaining weight. Other times a patient may have never acquired the desired feeling of restriction after surgery and they are hoping there is something that can be done to "tighten" their previous operation in order to maximize their weight loss. The StomaphyX procedure can be used to solve both of these situations without the need for a surgical operation.

Also called Natural Orifice Surgery, the StomaphyX procedure is performed using an endoscope through the mouth thereby avoiding the need for surgery. This minimizes any discomfort and allows a person to recover in one day. Most importantly, StomaphyX can help you to lose weight

There are a couple of physically correctable reasons why weight gain may occur after surgery. If you have undergone weight loss surgery (gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or other operation) and either your stomach, or your connection from the stomach to the intestine, has stretched over time, there is a tendency to lose less weight after the operation or to regain weight that had been previously lost. In both of these situations you will be able to eat larger quantities of food faster, and without feeling "full".

The traditional method of repairing these problems has been revisional surgery. These are technically difficult procedures and because of the risks, many patients have avoided revisional surgery and just lived with the struggle of regaining weight. Now that StomaphyX is available, patients can undergo a "tightening" procedure without undertaking the risks involved in a major operation. The StomaphyX procedure does not involve any incisions and therefore creates no scars on the skin; it is safer than surgery and minimizes the risk of infection and other complications. Most patients will return to work in one day.

StomaphyX is often performed as an outpatient procedure. The surgeon performs the procedure through the mouth, using an endoscope to shrink the stomach from the inside. The volume of the stomach can be reduced by up to 80%, re-creating a smaller stomach that fills quickly and empties slowly. Patients report that StomaphyX gives them a tight feeling similar to having just had a recent bariatric surgery and that the procedure reduces their appetite and the amount of food needed to feel full.

StomaphyX, in conjunction with regular follow-up with The N.E.W. Program physicians and adherence to the Basic Nutritional Guidelines, is an excellent and safe way to treat weight regain after bariatric surgery.

Before The Procedure:

• Consultation with a N.E.W. Program physician
• Upper Endoscopy evaluation to assess for pouch or stoma dilation
• No minimum weight requirements
• No pre-op diet

After The Procedure:

• Specific progression of diet for safe healing
  
  
  1. 1 week of liquids
  2. 1 week of soft foods

• Close follow-up with N.E.W. Program Clinician

Some patients will also have developed eating habits that are partially the cause of the weight regain. In these situations, The N.E.W. Program physicians will require those patients to undergo The N.E.W. Tune-Up Program as a necessary part of their long-term weight control program.