The Use of Electrical Stimulation of the Vagus Nerve to Treat Morbid Obesity

Obesity has become one of the rising epidemics in westernized societies. Patients who are 100 pounds overweight are considered morbidly obese and are at risk for many conditions including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis. Behavior modification and pharmacologic treatments have not resulted in any lasting success in this group of patients. Surgical options, which include both gastric restriction and malabsorptive procedures, have reduced the number and severity of comorbidities in this population by providing sustained weight loss. However, with surgery, there is the potential for short-term and long-term complications. New approaches to weight loss are necessary. Afferent vagal nerve stimulation may provide a viable alternative to standard surgical weight loss procedures. (C) 2001 Academic Press