Rose Procedure Helps Keep the Weight Off After Bariatric Surgery
The NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Illinois offers an innovative technique to reduce weight gain following gastric bypass surgery. The new procedure is referred to as ROSE for short, and it stands for Revisional Obesity Surgery Endolumenal. Nationwide in the U.S., less than a dozen medical centers offer the ROSE procedure.
Actually, depending on whom you ask, there is an alternate name for this procedure as well. According to the Franciscan Health System website, ROSE stands for Restorative Obesity Surgery, Endoscopic. I also found some names that combine the two mentioned above.
So in order to avoid confusion (including my own), let’s just refer to it as the ROSE procedure for this news story, shall we?
The procedure uses an endoscope that is manufactured by USGI Medical. It’s a long and slender device that is typically associated with less-invasive surgical techniques. It typically contains a surgical light and camera, which allows the surgeon to see the area of focus without making major incisions. The endoscope used for the ROSE procedure received FDA approval in 2008.
How the ROSE Procedure Works
When patients undergo gastric bypass surgery for weight loss, the stomach is essentially portioned or segmented into two areas. The usable portion becomes the smaller one, and this is what leads to the patients’ weight loss — they have a smaller stomach capacity and therefore a reduced appetite.
But over time, some patients begin to regain the weight they lost as a result of the bariatric surgery. This happens when the person’s stomach gradually stretches over time.
This is where the ROSE procedure comes into play. Through this technique, special instruments are inserted through the patient’s mouth and routed down into the stomach area. The surgeon uses an endoscope and surgical tools to fold and stitch part of the “stomach pouch” created during the initial gastric bypass surgery.
Because the surgeon gains access through the mouth, there are no incisions with the ROSE procedure, and therefore no scarring. It is similar to the TOGA procedure in its manner of oral entry.
Surgery News | Senior Editor | 
March 11, 2009 2:46 pm