A high percentage of people who've had gastric bypass surgery regain weight within a few years. A new study shows an incision-free procedure is effective in helping people reverse that weight gain.
The operation is called the ROSE procedure. It involves inserting tools through the mouth to reduce the volume of the stomach pouch.
The new study shows eight out of ten who went through the ROSE procedure lost weight.
UCSD surgeon Santiago Horgan directed the local wing of the study. He says the operation is not a magic bullet.
"If you have failed with your gastric bypass because of dietary issues, and you have never lost weight with your gastric bypass initially, you most likely will not lose weight with this new stitching," Horgan points out.
Horgan says insurance doesn't cover the ROSE procedure. At UCSD, it costs about $13,000.
