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Less hunger and a smaller stomach – endoscopically, without an abdominal incision and in one appointment. How the combination of hydroGMA and Weight Doctors SLEEVE® works and what it can achieve.
Medically reviewed byPriv.-Doz. Dr. med. Dörte WichmannSpecialist in visceral surgery & expert in endobariatricsLast updated:
Two gentle endoscopic techniques in one procedure – with a result that can come close to stomach reduction, entirely without surgery.
Many people with significant excess weight know the feeling of being caught between two options: GLP-1 therapy has to be used regularly and often long term, while gastric sleeve surgery is a final surgical step. In between, there is a gap. This is exactly where a new path comes in: Weight Doctors® hydroGMA combined with Weight Doctors SLEEVE®.
Both procedures are performed endoscopically via a gastroscopy and can be carried out in one appointment – without an abdominal incision. hydroGMA dampens hunger, and Weight Doctors SLEEVE® reduces the stomach volume. Two principles of action that complement each other.
hydroGMA is a gentle endoscopic procedure. During a gastroscopy, the top layer of the mucosa of the gastric fundus is treated in a targeted way – exactly where the cells that produce ghrelin, the hunger hormone, are located. Less ghrelin means less hunger.
The idea behind it: anyone who constantly fights their own hunger rarely keeps it up. hydroGMA therefore targets the hormonal root of hunger – as a one-off procedure of around 30 minutes instead of a weekly injection. The effect does not set in immediately, but over a few weeks, while the body breaks down the hunger hormone already present.
Weight Doctors SLEEVE® reduces the stomach endoscopically from the inside – similar to conventional stomach reduction, but without an abdominal incision and without removing stomach tissue. It deliberately spares the upper part of the stomach, the gastric fundus.
That is exactly where hydroGMA works. Together they achieve what neither procedure achieves alone: a smaller stomach volume meets less hunger.
How the procedure works, what the combination offers and what the first experiences show is explained step by step in nine short films by Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Dörte Wichmann and Dr. med. Oliver Scheffel – from the principle through the study evidence and the process to the combination with the endo sleeve.
“hydroGMA is endoscopic precision work: we treat only the top layer of the mucosa in a targeted way – exactly where the hunger cells are located. No incision, no stitches. For many patients, this is the gentle entry point they have long been waiting for.”
First, the honest answer: in the treatment of severe excess weight, hydroGMA is a new technique and not yet an established standard procedure. So far, the following has been reported:
These figures are promising, but in part not yet conclusively published. Results vary from person to person and depend heavily on diet and exercise. There is no guarantee – but a well-thought-out concept and close support can noticeably improve your chances.
The basis is a gastroscopy. In the combined appointment, Weight Doctors SLEEVE® is placed first, and hydroGMA is then added in the gastric fundus.
After the combined procedure, most patients currently stay overnight for observation for safety reasons. Many report no pain, no nausea and no vomiting. As with any procedure, there are risks: a feeling of pressure in the upper abdomen, nausea or a sore throat are common and usually temporary; bleeding or infections are rare.
For a lasting result, what happens after the procedure counts. That is why the treatment is always embedded in Weight Doctors® 360° nutrition coaching – with a food diary and personal support.
| Path | How it works | What you should know |
|---|---|---|
| GLP-1 therapy | via the feeling of fullness, entirely without a procedure | has to be used regularly and often long term; after stopping, the weight often comes back |
| Gastric balloon | a companion for a limited time | is removed again after 6 or 12 months |
| hydroGMA + Weight Doctors SLEEVE® | two principles of action in a single procedure | designed to be long-term, without surgery; nothing has to be removed or injected weekly |
| Gastric sleeve operation | very effective | final surgical procedure with incisions and a hospital stay |
The advantage of the combination: it joins the sustainability of a one-off procedure with the avoidance of surgery – and targets hunger and stomach volume at the same time.
At Weight Doctors®, our advice is independent of any one therapy. If another path suits your situation better, we will recommend exactly that. You decide – we listen first.
You can find the prices in the service overview. And if you are still unsure: that is exactly what the no-obligation consultation is for.
Weight Doctors® has 23 locations in 6 countries, 15 of them in Germany – from Aachen to Wiesbaden – as well as the Nationalklinik in Wertheim am Main as the national obesity centre.
We carry out hydroGMA at the Weight Doctors® Nationalklinik in Wertheim, about 40 minutes south of Frankfurt Airport. The no-obligation initial consultation is conveniently possible by telephone, by video or at a location near you. If you travel by air, our patient service will, on request, organise everything to do with your journey – including a shuttle from Frankfurt.
Our team speaks German, Dutch and English as native languages.
Your question isn’t listed? Your specialist will take time for it during the consultation.
Yes. Both procedures are performed endoscopically via a gastroscopy and can be combined in one appointment under general anaesthesia: the stomach is reduced with Weight Doctors SLEEVE®, and hydroGMA is added in the area of the gastric fundus. This makes the procedure only about 30 minutes longer.
No. Both procedures are performed endoscopically via a gastroscopy – without external incisions and without permanently removing stomach tissue. It is a gentle, minimally invasive procedure, not conventional surgery.
After the combined procedure, we currently usually keep patients overnight for observation for safety reasons. With growing experience, outpatient treatment is also conceivable in future.
hydroGMA is a purely self-pay service; the German statutory health insurers do not cover it. Viewed over a longer period, the one-off procedure can nevertheless be cheaper than a long-term weight-loss injection. Financing through medipay is possible; we discuss your cost framework in the consultation.
It may not be suitable, among other things, in cases of active stomach ulcers, severe clotting disorders, certain previous operations on the stomach, pregnancy or severe general illnesses. We always check this individually before the procedure.
Yes, completely. We advise you on all paths – from GLP-1 therapy and the gastric balloon to Weight Doctors SLEEVE® and hydroGMA – and recommend what suits your situation. Only when you decide on a path do we move forward.
You stick to your nutrition plan, and yet your thoughts keep circling around food? That is not down to a lack of discipline. What ghrelin has to do with it and where hydroGMA comes in.
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Weight Doctors® Hamburg has moved to a private clinic in the centre of Hamburg for its procedures. Your consultations will continue to take place at Rothenbaumchaussee 20.
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Why GLP-1 pharmacotherapy helps many people but is not the whole answer for everyone – and which paths there are when the injection alone is not enough.
7 min
* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
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Weight Doctors® GLP-1 pharmacotherapyMedication-based, no procedure3–12 months · from €599Medically supervised pharmacotherapy with regular progress monitoring – with no procedure at all.
No procedure
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Weight Doctors® hydroGMAEndoscopic, no incisionsapprox. 30 min · on requestLosing weight without medication: lowering the hunger hormone endoscopically – no surgery, no incisions. On its own or combined with an endo sleeve.
Long-lastingNew
Weight Doctors® GASTRIC BALLOONTemporary, also swallowable6 or 12 months · from €3,490A temporary companion for 6 or 12 months – also swallowable, with no endoscopy at all.
No surgery
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Weight Doctors SLEEVE®Endoscopic, permanent30–60 min · from €5,500Permanent stomach reduction without conventional surgery – endoscopic, outpatient, without scars.
No surgeryHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors BARIATRICS®Surgical, minimally invasive1–3 nights · from €2,900Gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery for higher BMIs, incl. private medical preliminary examination and aftercare.
With surgeryHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors® RESHAPEAfter weight lossindividual · from €1,950Post-bariatric body contouring after successful weight loss.
After weight lossHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors® REVISIONCorrective procedure after weight-loss surgeryindividual · from €900Corrective procedure when earlier weight-loss surgery has not brought the desired success.
With surgeryHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors® 360°Nutrition coachingper session · from €65Nutrition coaching and support in everyday life – in person, by video and in the app.
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Weight Doctors® MEMBERSHIPThe foundation of every therapyMedical oversight, app, scales, 3D Bodyscan and aftercare – the foundation of every Weight Doctors® therapy.
Weight Doctors® lipoedema surgeryLosing weight with a fat distribution disorder1.5–3 hours · from €950In lipoedema, fatty tissue increases abnormally on the legs or arms – with consultation and lipoedema surgery.
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* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
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