On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Maestro system, a surgically implanted device manufactured by EnteroMedics that can help treat obesity in adults.
The device, the first of its kind, generates an electrical pulse that prevents nerve signals from the brain from getting to the stomach. Basically it stops someone from feeling hungry.
“In a yearlong trial, 157 obese adults who received the device lost 8.5 percent more of their excess weight than 76 patients in the control group who received a sham implant,” The New York Times reported. “The result fell short of the goal of 10 percent, but an F.D.A. advisory committee concluded that the benefits of the implant outweighed the risks.”
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The device isn’t meant for just anybody who is overweight – candidates must have a body mass index of 35 to 45, they must have at least one obesity-related condition (like type 2 diabetes), and they must have tried a supervised weight loss program in the past five years.
Clinicians can adjust the settings of the device, but patients can recharge it on their own. Unfortunately, like pretty much anything, there are side effects. For this device they include nausea and vomiting, pain where the implant is and complications during surgery.
By the end of 2015, EnteroMedics plans to have the implant available at 20 centers around the country. It still isn’t clear if insurance companies will provide coverage, and the price isn’t set yet.