Professor Karl Miller, MD and Global Medical Director of Weight Doctors,
specializes in visceral and vascular surgery
Exclusive to Weight Doctors, the Endo-Sleeve® procedure is a permanent, non-surgical stomach reduction treatment for sustained weight loss. Lose weight for life with Weight Doctors. We offer the Endo-Sleeve® procedure for sustained weight reduction in addition to the well-known intra-gastric balloon treatments for 4, 6 or 12 months. Professor Karl Miller, MD is the first practitioner in Germany to exclusively offer this procedure. We’ve taken the time to sit with Professor Miller to share more about the pose® procedure.
Professor Miller, how does the Endo-Sleeve® procedure work?
The procedure offers the advantage of a permanent stomach reduction without the need for surgery. Using an endoscopic method, the stomach is reduced by the targeted placement of so-called anchors, using special sutures. Depending on the size of the patient – considering their weight and the volume of the stomach – approximately 6 to 8 anchors are placed in in the stomach, creating volume-reducing folds to reduce the size of the stomach. The Endo-Sleeve® procedure causes two things to happen in the stomach: 1) the stomach volume in the upper part of the stomach is decreased, therefore reducing food intake and accelerating the feeling of satiety, and 2) the stomach outlet becomes smaller, therefore prolonging the feeling of satiety and a delayed onset of hunger.
Who is eligible for treatment with the Endo-Sleeve® procedure?
The Endo-Sleeve® procedure is suitable for severely overweight or obese patients with a BMI of 27 to about 43. At the same time, it’s important for patients to have the willingness and motivation to make a change to their health and habits.
Are there any medical reasons that could prevent treatment with the Endo-Sleeve® procedure?
All medical specialists at Weight Doctors have the right to refuse to treat patients who have serious pre-existing medical conditions. This will be considered on an individual basis. We always discuss any associated risks, especially considering required anesthesia, with each individual patient. Having a one-on-one consultation is therefore a crucial part of undertaking the Endo-Sleeve® procedure.
How much weight loss can a patient expect to lose with the Endo-Sleeve® procedure?
On average, patients lose up to 20% of their initial weight. The most weight loss takes place in the first 2 years after treatment. This of course depends on the patient’s willingness to change their eating, exercise and lifestyle habits.
With the Endo-Sleeve® procedure, our patients have more time to build healthy habits when compared to other weight loss treatments.
Professor Miller, how long does the procedure take?
Approximately 50 minutes during a short outpatient stay of 5 to 6 hours.
How long does the recovery take after the Endo-Sleeve® treatment was performed?
On average, the patient is fit and ready to get back to their daily routine within 2 days following their treatment.
Professor Miller, how many appointments does the patient have after their treatment?
2 fixed appointments must be kept after the procedure is completed. Our Weight Doctors team continue to support patients for at least 1 year after their treatment. We ensure the regular exchange of information so that progress can be documented, and changes to dietary and exercise behavior can be supported in an effective way.
Where do consultations and treatments take place?
Initial consultations and treatments for our Endo-Sleeve® and our other innovative approaches to combating weight loss are available in person at most of our currently 23 Weight Doctors locations across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the UK, South Africa as well as Namibia. In addition, we also offer professional consultations by telephone and video. Our professionally conducted and high-quality video consultation have been enjoying increasing popularity also due to our excellent language proficiency in English, German, Dutch and Afrikaans language. A native to native language approach is key to our customer journey and helps our patients gain trust and confidence in all we do without any language barrier.