由 home-healthhaven 
Forget diet pills and exercise! Dr. Nikolas Chugay from the Chugay Cosmetic Surgery Medical Clinic has devised a groundbreaking weight loss surgery that makes eating solid food a painful task.
### The Procedure
This innovative method involves stitching a small patch to the patient’s tongue. This patch, roughly the size of a postage stamp, uses six tiny stitches to stay in place. Made from marlex, a rough material used in hernia repairs, the patch makes eating solid food nearly impossible. The entire process takes less than an hour and, compared to other weight-loss surgeries, is relatively affordable. For example, while a gastric bypass can cost up to $35,000 and a sleeve gastrectomy around $22,000, the tongue patch procedure costs about $2,000.
### The Benefits
Because the patch makes eating solid foods so uncomfortable, patients are essentially forced to stick to a liquid diet. They can meet their nutritional needs with prescribed liquid diets while consuming far fewer calories. Users of this patch can lose up to 25 pounds in the first month. The best part is that the patch is removable. After a month, patients check in with a nutritionist to assess their progress and set future goals. If necessary, the patch can stay in place for another month or two.
### The Drawbacks
The main downside is the pain involved. Initially, moving the tongue at all can be uncomfortable, causing difficulties in sleep and concentration at work. Over time, the patient adjusts to the patch, but eating solid food remains extremely painful. If the patch is left unchecked for more than a month, it starts integrating with the tongue as the porous material allows tissue to grow through it. Therefore, it’s crucial to have follow-up appointments with the plastic surgeon and nutritionist after the first month.
No procedure is without its drawbacks, so be sure to consult with a bariatric specialist if considering this weight loss option.
As obesity becomes an increasing concern, this patch might gain popularity. Dr. Chugay notes, “Many children, teenagers, and adults are significantly overweight. During my travels, I saw this as a potential solution to help my patients lose weight quickly and efficiently. Hence, the tongue patch procedure was born.”