Podcast #475 · 20 Aug 2024
Bariatric Embolization for Obesity Management
While GLP-1 agonists continue to gain popularity in the medical management of diabetes and obesity, Dr. Cliff Weiss is exploring bariatric arterial embolization (BAE) as an adjunctive therapy to help patients sustain weight loss. Dr. Weiss, the Director of IR Research at Johns Hopkins, joins the show to discuss the techniques and impacts of BAE for obesity treatment.
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Dr. Weiss outlines his initial research interest in gastric embolization of the fundus to reduce ghrelin production. He began by studying the use of sclerosants for embolization but later shifted to using embolic spheres. BAE involves the targeted embolization of the left gastric artery, with or without the left gastroepiploic artery, using 300-500 micron embolic spheres. Dr. Weiss also employs a dilute mixture of spheres and a vasodilator to achieve distal arterial penetration. He describes the role of BAE in conjunction with existing surgical and pharmaceutical treatments. According to his experience, patients undergoing BAE achieve maximum weight loss 6-9 months after the procedure and can maintain this weight when they follow up in a weight management clinic. Additionally, Dr. Weiss reviews data from BAE studies, including the BEAT Obesity Trial and the recent BEATLES Trial.