1. a revolutionary weight loss device
Stacy Bartlett
Amanda Doodlesack

2. Obesity more than 1/3 of the U.S population (35.7%) is obese
W.H.O: Body Mass Index over 30 is considered obese, over 40 is morbidly obese
more than 1/3 of the U.S population (35.7%) is obese
2008 obesity-related medical costs were ~$147 billion
obesity increases risk of other diseases including:
coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure
type 2 diabetes
cancers (endometrial, breast, colon)
high total cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides
liver and gallbladder disease
sleep apnea, respiratory problems
osteoarthritis
reproductive health complications (i.e. infertility)
mental health conditions (i.e. depression)

3. Before considering this device
patient has tried diet and exercise to lose weight
patient may have tried prescription weight loss drugs
patient must be obese and have a BMI between 35 and 55
for a 5'4" female, weight between 205lbs and 320lbs
for a 5'10" male, weight between 245lbs and 385lbs

4. Overview Abiliti - developed by Intrapace, a California based company
lead connects to stomach in two places:
food detection sensor on upper portion of stomach
stimulating electrode that sends electrical impulses to stomach to make person feel full
device is based on technology developed by Medtronic for cardiac pacemakers
battery powered stimulator device implanted in abdomen

5. Abiliti vs. other bariatric surgery options
Lapband
o minimially invasive, safe, low rate of complications as shown by safety and efficacy studies done so far
o no drastic altering of the anatomy (less
invasive than other procedures)
o reversible
o holistic approach- changes eating habits
and control of hunger rather than just
physically altering the stomach
o other tools (food tracking, exercise
logging, social networking) help lead to a
healthy lifestyle, more permanent results
Gastric Bypass

6. Cost device still in trials and development stage
company refused to offer pricetag, but expected it to cost similar amount to other bariatric surgeries
~$25,000
current bariatric surgeries are covered by insurance, so hopefully this will be too
device is currently only available in Europe, so its hard to extrapolate to US health insurance coverage

7. Therapeutic procedures - protocol
3-4 small incisions in abdomen for probes
diagnostic electrode attached to stomach and then brought through abdominal cavity
diagnostic electrode connected to gastric stimulator
gastric stimulator
implanted
probes removed and
incisions closed
entire procedure < 1 hour

8. Recovery protocols - overnight hospital stay
- follow-up appointments with physician every 6-8 weeks in the year following surgery
- my.abiliti® system monitors food consumption and activity levels
- allows physician and patient to monitor and adjust settings
- provides online tools and support system for patients

9. Improvements controls appetite so patient feels full sooner
patient loses weight (~22% body weight)
reduced risk for obesity-related complications
physician monitoring + online support system
change diet and eating habits
improve overall health

10. Complications
- virtually none of the nausea or other side effects that come with other procedures
- potential complications are similar to those of any implanted device
-rejection
-fibrosis
-inflammation
-biofilms
-pain at implant site
- battery lifetime: 2-5 years; device lifetime: ~5 years

11. Future Directions
- currently performed in 38 hospitals and clinics in Europe
- currently enrolling patients in study that will be completed in 2015
- company hopes to receive FDA approval after the completion of the study

12. References
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