A DEVICE that helps obese people with Type 2 diabetes shed more than two stones on average should be rolled out across the NHS, experts say.
The Endobarrier is a reversible treatment that provides people with an alternative to drastic gastric bypass surgery.
Patients can be fitted with the thin plastic sleeve via their mouth in less than an hour while under anaesthetic.
The Endobarrier lines the first 23 inches of the small intestine, preventing the body from digesting food in this area and causing it to be absorbed further down the intestine.
Cutting out the first part of digestion means that people feel full after just a small meal.
The idea is similar to having a gastric bypass, but is far less invasive, less risky, less expensive and can be removed, usually after a year.
A new study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Lisbon has found that the device is a safe and effective treatment.
Dr Robert Ryder and colleagues from City Hospital, Birmingham, have implanted the Endobarrier in 50 patients as part of an NHS trial.
Results for the first 31 patients show it helped them lose weight and improved their health. Those on insulin were able to reduce their dose.
The research team said: “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."
Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Diabetes UK director of research, said the results were "promising" but she added: "Long-term, large-scale studies are still needed to understand the true impact of using Endobarrier to manage Type 2 diabetes.”
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