interventional radiologists perform surgery to fix vessels in other parts of the body including the brain, lungs, legs, abdomen, and others in order to avoid strokes and gangrene. Thousands of interventional procedures have been conducted by Dr. Deshmukh. He said, “The self-expanding, blood-flow resisting device we have devised is about an idea taking shape”.
Dr. Deshmukh said, “As interventional radiologists, we treat arteries and veins by opening up or closing them as the situation demands”. Many are unaware that plaque buildup affects not just the heart vessels but also the abdomen vessels. The patient is diagnosed with abdominal angina when the superior mesenteric artery, which supplies blood to the small intestine, becomes blocked. He said, “The patient develops this angina whenever he or she eats. As a result, they develop fear of food and avoid it, leading to 10 to 20kg weight loss”. According to medical literature, some of these individuals acquire cibophobia, which is known as fear of food.
Dr. Deshmukh and Dr. Krantikumar Rathod collaborated on a study that researched the link between a blocked mesenteric artery, cibophobia, and weight reduction. He said, “We felt we can narrow the mesenteric artery in morbidly obese people by introducing a stent-like device would trigger weight loss”. Cibophobia is induced by the narrowing artery, which results in weight reduction. The doctors sought for the patent five years back in April 2016 and received it only this month. They created a device that is 8mm in diameter, looks like an hourglass, and measures 15-20mm in length. He detailed, “We now have to devise the delivery system, make prototypes and plan animal studies”. Before human trials, these measures must be followed.
According to a prominent surgeon who addressed the media, constricting an artery with a device can cause clots. A bariatric surgeon said, “As morbidly obese people usually have diabetes or hypertension, introducing such a device needs to be well thought out”. According to another expert, a brilliant plan on paper may not necessarily work practically. Dr. Deshmukh believes the gadget, which has an objective of obesity reduction as stated in the patent papers, might be used as a bridge treatment before severely obese patients go through weight-loss bariatric surgery. He added, “It will help them lose 10-20kg within a few weeks and it can be removed thereafter”. The researchers are also looking at its use in the treatment of heart diseases.
