What is Gastric Botox?

Gastric Botox  (Stomach Botox) or more correctly named gastroscopic application of botilinum toxin type A is a procedure where we apply botox to the muscular wall of the stomach with help of an non surgical endoscopic procedure called gastroscopy.

When applied to gastric wall botilinum toxin, just like when applied to face, it decreases the stomach muscle movements which leads to prolenged satisfaction with food and less need of eating. When stomach contents stay in for longer time we feel less need for having meal or junk food meal.

Also gastric botox (stomach botox), when administrated to the special site of the stomach called "Fundus" ,which is the doom of apetite, many of the patients feel less hunger due to the decrease in the level appetite hormone called "Ghrelin" .

First of all, we have to say that gastric botox (stomach botox) procedure is the part of a life style and eating habbit change program. This means results may be various with some patients. According to our results % 85 of the patients get very encouraging results , which 8-15 kg loss in 4-6 months after gastric botox procedure.

5% of the patients still loseweight but less than they are intended.

Lastly % 10  of the patients do not lose weight or are not so satisfied with the result! These are the patients which actually having difficulties with keeping a certain life style modification program which is advised by our bariatric dietician and bariatric  psycholog!

As a non-surgical method of weight loss, gastric botox is a very effective weight loss tool for individeals having body mass index lower less than 35 kg/m2. It is effective, simple, safe and same-day procedure which enables you to return to your normal daily life only after couple of hours following the application.

Gastric Botox (Stomach Botox) procedure is very safe! Botilinum toxin allergy, althoug very rare, may be seen after the procedure which can be treated with medications.

One of the another very rare but still possible complication is "Flu like sydrome" and it may last to 1-2 weeks if happens, which again can be treated with medications and some rest.

Gastric Botox (stomach botox) is not painful at all! It is carried out under anethesia with the help of gastroscopy. Patient feels no pain or discomfort during and after the proedure.

Because botox decreases stomach wall movements, this procedure does not cause any vomiting or nausia as well!

Just like facial botox, Gastric Botox (stomach botoxo) effect lasts from 4 to 6 months.

8 Hours of fasting is required before the gastric botox procedure as all other endoscopic procedures, this eases the anesthesia, prevents the risk of vomiting during procedure and enables the endoscopist docotor to see and apply the injections clearly and precisely!

For about last 2-3 years, we,the bariatric surgeons, have been carefully watchful on gastric botox procedure. The gastric botox procedure, which actually for more correct numenclature should be named as Gastric Botilinum Toksin Injection instead, is gaining a fast polpularity among the patients who are not willing to have nor surgery neither any of its risks. As we are quite sure that gastric botox procedure will gain much more popularity in very near future we decided to write an article on the subject mentioning on the details of the procedure and also about our experience.

Firstly we have to say that, Gastric Botox Procedure is not totally a new procedure. Actually the procedure has been used for many years for the treatment of some gastrointestinal diseases like “Achalasia”, “Gastroparesis” ,”Anal Fissure” and som other gastrointestinal tract diseases. The new thing with the “Gastric Botox” or “Stomach Botox” is that it is newly used for the treatment of obesity, otherwise it is quite an old procedure.

In this article we aim to explain the applicational and scientific details of the porcedure.

Gastric Botox is not much different from the facial botox which is applied for aesthetic reasons indeed! In both technics the substance applied, which is “Botilinum Toxin”, is excactly same. Due to the wide surface area of the stomach, the dosage applied in the gastric botox procedure is much higher though.Technically botox when applied to any muscle causes a transient paralysis of the muscle, this is the effect which we aim exactly. This planned paralysis, which leads to decraese of the wrinkles on the face, also causes partial paralysis on the stomach muscle which means decreased stomach movements. Stomach movements serve for pushing the gatsric ingredients into the small intestines where the real food absorbtion starts, thus when stomach movements decrease, the food stays longer in the stomach which means delayed stomach emptying. Delayed stomach emptying meas more food satiety, and less apetite, therefore, less calorie intake.

Moreover when botox is applied on the part called “Fundus”, a hormone called “Ghreline” decreases. Ghreline is known as apetite hormon, so if Ghrelin level falls, then eventually our apetite falls. To sum up, gastric botox helps for prolenged food satiety and decreased apetite.

Oocourse gastric botox is different or maybe superior to facial botox, for instance facial botox is applied for aesthetic reasons and it may have more or less some pain while applicating, but gastric botox works for aesthetics and health as well, and gatsric botox is totally painless since while applicating the procedure patients are under general anesthesia and they feel no pain or discomfort.

Gatric botox takes a short time just as facial botox. Gastric Botox is applied in only 20 minutes with an endoscopy procedure which is called gastroscopy under general anesthesia. After the procedure the patients are rested for 1 hour. After 1 hour following the procedure the patients can eat and drink and are allowed to leave the hospital.

To our experience, our patients describe a low level of apetite just after half an hour following the botox injection. Till now, we did not have any patients complaining of vomiting, nausea or stomach cramps.

Gastric Botox is used for moderate level of weight loss in 4-6 months, which is about 10 to 15 kilos. We especially advice gastric botox to the patients with body mass index between 27 – 40 kg/m2. For morbidly obese patients, bariatric or metabolic surgery would be the most effective treatment option.

For the patients who have not benefit from diet and exercise properly or for those who want to lose weight faster gastric botox procedure is a good option because beside being a non surgical weight loss treatment, gastric botox is a easily applied, painless and a riskless weight loss treatment.

Altghougt there is not still enogh published data in medical literature, gastric botox may be an alternative for weight regain after gastric sleeve surgery.

We strongly recommend that gastric botox procedure should be followed by a close dietician and psycholog follow up in order to obtain the optimal behavioral and diet changes in the person’s life after the effect of botox ends.

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