A new procedure is being done in
America to help patients reduce their weight. In Southern California, Dr
Nikolas Chugay claims that his procedure, called the tongue patch, helps patients
lose around 20 pounds in one month. This procedure consists of sewing a pored
patch, made of a material called marlex, to the tongue. The patch is then
removed after a month to prevent the tongue from incorporating the material.
The patch’s purpose is to make it impossible for patients to eat solid food.
Individuals who undergo the procedure are forced to stick to the doctor’s 800
calorie per day liquid diet. Attempting to eat any solids will result in
extreme pain, forcing the patients to stick to the doctor’s diet.
This procedure is pretty extreme
but we are dealing with consenting adults and we are sure that they have been
made aware of the potential downsides. First, it is obvious that getting
something stitched to your tongue can cause complications. Some patients find
it hard to speak or sleep. As the material will start to bind with the tongue tissue,
the procedure needed to take out the patch after a month will extremely painful
but local anaesthetics and post-procedure painkillers will help to mitigate
these factors.
Secondly (and perhaps more
importantly), have you thought about what happens when suddenly after a month
(and a few days’ recovery) patients are able to eat solid food again? My guess
is they would go back to their old eating habits. A month is unlikely to be
sufficient for the body to be re-educated in a way that the patient’s
relationship with food is dramatically improved. Obesity and overeating are
complicated problems and we are not convinced that a painful tongue patch for a
month is the way forward. I am sure that the doctor is providing a great
follow-up service but it would be interesting to know the outcome around 12
months after the procedure. I remain to be convinced that patients will have
dramatically different body shapes.
Here is a link to Dr Chugay’s website – but this
is not an endorsement!