FDA Approves New Surgically-Implanted Device To Treat Obesity

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new device to treat obesity called the Maestro Rechargeable System from EnteroMedics Inc, reports Reuters.

The device is surgically implanted and works by interrupting the nerve pathway between the brain and stomach, controlling a subject's feelings of hunger or fullness.

According to Reuters, the Maestro Rechargeable System "is implanted surgically into the abdomen and works by sending electrical pulses that interfere with the activity of the vagus nerve, which signals to the brain that the stomach is empty."

A yearlong clinical study showed that patients implanted with the device lost only 8.5 percent more weight than the control group without the device, which fell short of the trial's aim of weight loss of 10 percent or more.

However, an FDA advisory panel has reportedly concluded that the device provides sufficient benefits for certain patients. The device is the first of its kind approved by the FDA to treat obesity since 2007.