The effectiveness lies in the combination Weight Doctors SLEEVE® with GLP-⁠1

More than an aesthetic problem

Obesity is one of the major health challenges of our time. It is far more than an aesthetic problem, because it carries serious health risks. Worldwide, over 650 million adults are affected (as of 2022), and the number continues to rise. Effective methods of weight reduction are therefore more in demand than ever.

Conventional approaches such as diets or individual treatments often show only limited success. A combination therapy of endoscopic stomach reduction and GLP-⁠1 opens up new possibilities here.

Why losing weight in the long term is so hard

Diets or exercise programmes often do not lead to lasting success: fewer than 10% of people can maintain their weight in the long term after a diet. The reasons are many:

Limits of conventional methods

Bariatric operations such as the gastric sleeve or the gastric bypass are effective, but come with higher risks and longer recovery times. Many people affected therefore look for a gentler yet still effective alternative.

A 2024 study shows that the combination of endoscopic stomach reduction (“EGR” in the study) and a drug therapy such as GLP-⁠1 therapy achieved better results than either method alone.

Weight Doctors SLEEVE® and GLP-⁠1 therapy

The combination joins a minimally invasive stomach reduction with drug support: the Weight Doctors SLEEVE® together with GLP-⁠1 therapy.

The basis is endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapy (EBMT), an approach to sustainable weight reduction without a surgical incision. The SLEEVE procedure gently reduces the stomach volume and can thereby improve the natural feeling of fullness. Together with a GLP-⁠1-based therapy, it can be an alternative to bariatric surgery – with lower risk and a shorter recovery time.

Extended Sleeve plus

With the Extended Sleeve plus, endoscopic stomach reduction was combined with GLP-⁠1 therapy in 2025 in order to achieve treatment results close to those of a classic operation.

The study on combination therapy

The study by Jirapinyo et al. (2024) examined the effectiveness of combination therapy between September 2017 and July 2022. 208 patients with obesity, or with a BMI of 27 or above and a weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes or hyperlipidaemia, were divided into three groups:

Why timing is decisive

Those who started GLP-⁠1 therapy within six months of the endoscopic stomach reduction did best in the study. A later start led to weaker results – probably because the body had already settled into a new balance.

Who the therapy is not suitable for

As with any medical treatment, there are limitations. In the study, people with previous bariatric operations, active alcohol consumption or smoking were excluded, as were people who had already taken part in similar studies.

Side effects included mild to moderate discomfort such as nausea or diarrhoea, which were mainly caused by the GLP-⁠1 therapy. They usually occurred only in the first weeks and improved as treatment went on.

Non-surgical stomach reduction

The Weight Doctors SLEEVE® is a minimally invasive method of stomach reduction. The decisive difference from an operation: it is performed endoscopically, that is, through the mouth. No incision is needed – no visible scars, no long recovery time.

Under general anaesthesia, the stomach wall is precisely folded and stitched so that the stomach takes on a tube-like shape. The stomach volume falls by up to 75% as a result – entirely without an incision. Unlike surgical stomach reduction, the stomach is fully preserved – nothing is removed. Many patients can go home the same or the next day and return to their everyday lives.

How the SLEEVE reduces the stomach

Weight Doctors® work with two endoscopic procedures. They differ in technique, but the aim is the same: to reduce the stomach volume gently and to strengthen the natural feeling of fullness.

Endo sleeve, Extended Sleeve and Extended Sleeve+

All three variants use pose® 3.0 Double Helix or OverStitch NXT™, take around 30–60 minutes under anaesthesia and are outpatient procedures (stay approx. 4–5 hours); the Weight Doctors® App is included with each. They differ in how much the stomach is reduced:

Risks of a stomach reduction

As with any operation, a stomach reduction also carries possible risks and complications:

What is GLP-⁠1 and how does it work?

GLP-⁠1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a hormone produced by the body in the intestine that plays an important role in regulating appetite. This is how it works:

Combination therapy and weight-loss surgery

In the comparison, the combination achieved almost the same weight loss in the study as a stomach operation, with a lower procedural risk.

Long-term perspective

An important advantage of combination therapy can be more sustainable weight loss. Whereas purely surgical methods often lead to hormonal adjustments that favour weight regain, drug support can help the body adapt better to the smaller stomach volume.

The treatment can also be adjusted individually: if a medication is not well tolerated, an alternative can be tried without reversing the endoscopic stomach reduction.

An option for sustainable weight loss

Are you looking for a long-term, safe and effective way to reduce your weight? Then the combination of endoscopic stomach reduction with the Weight Doctors SLEEVE® and GLP-⁠1 therapy may be an option for you. Studies show that it can come close to the results of a surgical stomach reduction – with lower risk and a shorter recovery time.

The two methods complement each other: the SLEEVE creates the basis for smaller portions through the smaller stomach volume, while GLP-⁠1 therapy additionally helps to control appetite and supports metabolism. Especially if you are struggling with severe excess weight and other methods have not helped, this combination can be a way forward.

Every body is different – which is why individual medical advice is essential to find the right treatment. As this form of therapy develops further, weight reduction is likely to become even more effective and safer in future. In a no-obligation consultation, we clarify whether this method suits your situation.