Surgeons in Bushey are poised to become one of the first teams in Europe to perform a new weight loss procedure.

This incisionless surgery, dubbed POSE (Primary Obesity Surgery Endolumenal), is being launched at the Spire Bushey Hospital by Lead Bariatric Surgeon Pratik Sufi.

The new technology will be available to patients with a BMI of 28-40, widening the availability of weight-loss surgery to patients who do not fulfil NHS requirements, but who otherwise struggle to control their weight through diet, medication and exercise.

POSE is the first procedure of its kind that does not cut the abdomen to reduce the capacity of the stomach.

Instead, surgeons will use a small flexible tube, or endoscope, to enter the body via the mouth.

This will be used to make multiple folds in the stomach tissue, reducing its size and thus reducing the amount of food it can hold.

Patients will feel more full more quickly during meals, causing them to eat less.

Mr Sufi said: β€œIt is my view that POSE is currently the most exciting and innovative available solution for the treatment of obesity and it may be ideal for patients who have tried to lose weight without long-term success and are keen to try something new.”

An estimated 23 per cent of the UK population are thought to be clinically obese, with more than half the population in London either overweight or obese.

Obesity can carry major health risks, leading to the development of diseases and conditions such as Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnoea.

This leading technology, developed by Elemental Healthcare, can be offered to patients at an earlier stage before these major diseases develop.