Milestone Achieved: 500 Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty Procedures at WakeMed Cary Hospital
January 21, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CARY, N.C. – Today, gastroenterologist Christopher McGowan, M.D., of True You Weight Loss in Cary, NC, performed his 500th Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty at the Advanced Gastrointestinal Center at WakeMed Cary Hospital, making him the first and only physician in the country to reach this milestone.
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, commonly referred to as ESG, is a non-surgical, incisionless procedure that allows a gastroenterologist to use endoscopic suturing to reduce the overall size of the stomach to promote weight loss. Offering comparable results to bariatric surgery with zero cutting, the ESG procedure lasts about 40 minutes, and patients can lose up to 100 pounds or more, or approximately 20 percent of their total body weight. WakeMed Cary Hospital was the first hospital in North Carolina where the first ESG procedures were performed in 2018. True You Weight Loss and WakeMed Cary Hospital, together, are currently the only facilities that offer ESG throughout the state.
WakeMed Cary Hospital’s Advanced Gastrointestinal Center not only provides diagnostic and treatment for digestive diseases, but specializes in minimally invasive procedures including ESG for weight loss.
"I am extremely proud of Dr. McGowan and the WakeMed Cary Hospital Advanced Gastrointestinal Center team for this accomplishment,” said Tom Gough, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of WakeMed Health & Hospitals. “Our vision to create a center that not only treats the entire digestive system, but provides the opportunity to do new, innovative procedures to benefit patients is certainly demonstrated by this milestone.”
Dr. McGowan is one of the few physicians in the nation who is triple-board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and obesity medicine. He is a world-renowned leader in endobariatrics, a new field of gastroenterology that aims to address the obesity epidemic. His practice, True You Weight Loss, is the nation’s first and only physician-founded medical practice exclusively focused on providing non-surgical, state-of-the-art weight loss procedures and support.
"ESG is currently the most effective non-surgical weight loss procedure available,” said Dr. McGowan. “Unlike with gastric bypass, ESG patients are back at work in two to three days with no long-term side effects. And there are so many off-the-scale victories – lower blood pressure, better blood sugar control, improved sleep apnea, and the list goes on. Patients are able to take control of their life and health without the burden or risk of surgery, and it’s truly life-changing for our patients.”
Though ESG is highly effective and comes without the side effects of surgery, it’s one of the most technically challenging endoscopic procedures and requires a high level of endoscopic skill. Dr. McGowan is a leading educator in the field of endoscopic weight loss and regularly trains physicians from around the nation in the technique of endoscopic suturing.
ESG is ideal for patients who have a BMI of at least 30 and have not been successful with diet and exercise alone. It is an alternative long-term weight loss solution for those who don’t want to undergo gastric bypass or those whose physical condition makes them ineligible for surgery.
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About WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed is a not-for-profit health care system founded and based in Raleigh, N.C. WakeMed exists to improve the health and well-being of our community by providing outstanding and compassionate care to all. WakeMed’s 941-bed system comprises a network of facilities throughout the Triangle area, including three full-service hospitals, seven emergency departments, a dedicated Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital, more than 80 physician offices and Wake County’s only Level I Trauma Center. WakeMed’s mission-driven team includes more than 9,800 employees, 1,500 volunteers and 1,300 affiliated physicians, along with the more than 580 physicians and providers with WakeMed Physician Practices – all representing the best minds and the biggest hearts and the finest quality in health care and community health. For more information, visit wakemed.org or follow WakeMed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About True You Weight Loss, PLLC
Founded by Dr. Christopher McGowan, True You Weight Loss, PLLC is the nation’s first and only dedicated endobariatric weight loss center. True You Weight Loss offers a comprehensive range of endobariatric procedures and support services to help patients lose weight, including endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), bariatric revisional procedures, intragastric balloon placement, aspiration therapy, and medical nutrition therapy. To learn more, visit www.trueyouweightloss.com.
About Christopher McGowan, MD
Christopher McGowan, MD is one of the few physicians in the nation who is triple-board-certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, and obesity medicine, and is a world-renowned leader in endobariatrics, a new field of gastroenterology that aims to address the obesity epidemic without surgical intervention. Dr. McGowan earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA and completed his internship, residency, and Chief Residency at Brown University in Providence, RI. He did his fellowship training in gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned a Master of Science in Clinical Research from the UNC Gillings School of Public Health. He received his certification from the American Board of Obesity Medicine in 2019, after completing additional education in obesity medicine.
For Additional Information:
WakeMed Health & Hospitals
Kristin Kelly | Phone: 919-350-5921
Email: krkelly@wakemed.org
True You Weight Loss/Dr. McGowan
Jiill Dykes | Phone: 919-749-8488
Email: jill@jilldykespr.com