UCI News

UCI bariatric surgeons to undertake novel VBLOC Therapy study

Dr. Ninh Nguyen, chief of gastrointestinal surgery at the UC Irvine Medical Center, and colleagues are seeking participants in a…

January 30, 2008

Dr. Ninh Nguyen, chief of gastrointestinal surgery at the UC Irvine Medical Center, and colleagues are seeking participants in a nationwide clinical study to test a new, minimally invasive way to treat morbid obesity without altering the stomach through gastric bypass surgery or laparoscopic banding. The Empower study will employ a novel VBLOC Therapy, in which implanted electrodes will block nerve signals carried between the brain and the digestive system that control sensations of hunger, satisfaction and fullness. The five-year safety and efficacy study is being held at five U.S. locations and a site in Australia.