EnteroMedics Maestro Rechargeable System
A weight-loss treatment for patients who are morbidly obese or who are obese with one or more obesity-related conditions.
The Maestro Rechargeable System contains some components that are implanted inside the body and some that are outside the body.
The internal components include a rechargeable pulse generator neuroregulator disc which delivers electrical signals to nerve electrodes.
The electrodes are placed on the trunks of the vagus nerve in the abdomen and two electrical leads connect the electrodes to the pulse generator.
The external components include a transmit coil, mobile charger, and clinician programmer.
The system delivers small electrical pulses to block transmission of nervous signals in the vagus nerve.
The vagal blocking therapy, or VBLOC therapy is intended to promote weight loss by suppressing neural communication between the brain and the stomach.
The vagus nerve is involved in regulating stomach emptying and signaling to the brain that the stomach feels empty or full.
The Maestro Rechargeable System is intended for people who are at least 18 years old and are obese, and with one or more obesity-related health condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
The Maestro Rechargeable System is for use in obese patients who have first tried to lose weight by diet and exercise in a supervised program within the last 5 years.
People who used this device lost 8 pounds more than those in a control group.
Contraindications: for the Maestro Rechargeable System are
Cirrhosis of the liver
Increased pressure in hepatic veins (portal hypertension)
Dilated veins in the esophagus (esophageal varices)
Hiatal hernias that are clinically significant and cannot be corrected by surgery
Patients who are at high risk for surgical complications
Have another permanently implanted, electrically-powered medical device (such as a heart pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or neurostimulator), or if their doctors anticipate the need for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or procedures that require diathermy.