OBESE Brits could have stomach-shrinking surgery on the NHS using just a tube down their throat.
Health watchdog NICE today proposed approving endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty for people who don’t want weight loss surgery.
GettyMillions of Brits are obese and medics are desperate to reduce pressure on the NHS[/caption]
The 90-minute op works by folding and stitching the stomach from the inside to shrink it by two thirds and stop the patient eating so much.
A study showed nearly eight in 10 patients lost a quarter of their body weight within a year of the surgery.
One in four adults in England are obese – more than 10million people.
Obesity costs the NHS around £6.5billion a year and medics are scrambling to slim us down, with a boom in demand for weight-loss jabs like Ozempic.
Professor Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer at NICE, said: “Our committee has found endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty to be safe and effective.
“It can reduce the size of the stomach and therefore make people feel fuller on a smaller amount of food.
“One of the benefits is that this procedure can be carried out as a day case, and not involve an overnight stay, reducing the time people spend in hospital.
“Recovery is also quicker.”
To be eligible patients must have a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 and have tried and failed to shift the flab by dieting and exercise.