Roper St. Francis is proud to be the first healthcare provider in South Carolina to offer vBloc therapy, a new technology that focuses on blocking hunger signals from the brain, rather than surgically altering the stomach and digestive system like traditional bariatric surgery.
The vBloc, a pacemaker-like device, regulates signals from the brain’s vagus nerve to the stomach, which control digestion and hunger signals that can lead to overeating. The procedure is an outpatient, non-invasive surgery that involves laparoscopic placement of a neuro-regulator device in the abdomen. Doctors program and adjust the device to alter the ability for the stomach and the brain to communicate normally, and over time, this results in decreased hunger and positive body composition change.
Benefits of vBloc include:
- No permanent surgical changes to the patient’s anatomy and minimal side effects.
- Therapy tailored to the specific patient and his/her needs and goals.
- Average weight loss up to 30% of a patient’s body weight, which can decrease a person’s risk for diabetes by 50% and significantly reduce blood pressure.
To qualify for the device, patients must have a BMI of 35 to 39.9, with an obesity-associated comorbidity such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol or obstructive sleep apnea, or a BMI between 40 and 45.