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Bariatric Arterial Embolization for Obesity: A Review of Early Clinical Evidence

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Abstract

Obesity is a worldwide public health epidemic that leads to increased morbidity, mortality, and cost burden to health care. Although bariatric surgery has been recognized as a standard invasive treatment for obesity, it is accompanied by relatively high morbidity and cost burden, as well as limited treatment outcome. Therefore, alternative treatments with lower morbidity and cost for surgery that target patients who are obese, but not morbidly obese, are needed. A minimally invasive trans-catheter procedure, named bariatric arterial embolization or bariatric embolization (BAE), has been identified as a potential solution, based on its safety and preliminary efficacy profiles. The purpose of this review is to introduce up-to-date clinical data and discuss future directions for BAE for the treatment of obesity.

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Funding

Dr. Weiss is funded through NIH/NIBIB R01EB017615, NIH/NIBIB T32EB006351, SIR Foundation (FSDG), Siemens Healthcare, BTG, Merit Medical, and Medtronic. Dr. Zhong receives funding through Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the Scientific Research Innovation Program for College and University Graduates of Jiangsu Province (KYZZ16_0133). Funding sources have had no involvement in the financial support for the preparation of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China

    Bin-Yan Zhong

  2. Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology and Radiologic Science, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Sheikh Zayed Tower, Suite 7203, 1800 Orleans St, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Bin-Yan Zhong & Clifford R. Weiss

  3. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA

    Godwin Abiola

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Dr. Weiss is a consultant for Medtronic and BTG.

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Zhong, BY., Abiola, G. & Weiss, C.R. Bariatric Arterial Embolization for Obesity: A Review of Early Clinical Evidence. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 41, 1639–1647 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00270-018-1996-y

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