The EndoBarrier™ is placed in the GI tract endoscopically (via the mouth) to create a barrier between food and the wall of the intestine and to delay the mixing of digestive enzymes with the food.
Preventing food from coming into contact with the intestinal wall and delaying digestion will alter the activation of hormonal signals that originate in the intestine. This gives the same effect as a gastric bypass, but without the surgery and without changing the anatomy of the stomach, thereby avoiding many of the risks.
The device is positioned in the duodenal bulb and fastened into place with an anchor. The liner extends approximately 2 feet through the small intestine.
The EndoBarrier™ is removed after the treatment period. Using a custom retrieval system, removal of the device takes around 15 minutes.
