Yves Renuixen
Patient
A minimally invasive procedure to reduce stomach volume is a way to help people with obesity achieve significant weight loss. One person who has had the treatment tells their story.
Yves Renuixen had always been fit and healthy. As someone who enjoyed walking regularly and going to the gym four or five times a week, gaining weight was the furthest thing from his mind. That all changed in 2019 when he was given a CT scan following an infection and received a shock cancer diagnosis.
Struggle with weight and health issues
“I was told I had a tumour on my spleen and needed surgery,” says Renuixen. “When the Covid-19 lockdowns started, I was classed as ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ because I no longer had a spleen and couldn’t leave the house.” Being unable to exercise took a mental and physical toll. Feeling isolated and depressed, he put on over 50kg (7.8 stone) and at his heaviest weighed more than 152kg (23.9 stone). In 2023, his doctor referred him to dietitians and a psychologist. Despite this, Renuixen’s weight struggles continued.
Life-changing minimally invasive procedure
In May 2024, the team at St Mary’s Hospital explained that he was suitable for a minimally invasive procedure called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) which had received positive guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).1 Designed to benefit patients living with obesity, ESG is performed under general anaesthetic, takes around 90 minutes and involves a thin, flexible tube with a small camera being passed through the mouth and into the stomach.2 Most ESG procedures can be performed as a day procedure.
Boston Scientific manufactures minimally invasive medical device solutions, including the OverStitch™ Endoscopic Suturing System,2 which is used during ESG procedures. The OverStitch device is attached to the end of the tube to stitch and fold together parts of the stomach wall to reduce its volume by 70%–80%.3 This reduces food intake by creating a sensation of fullness. When combined with diet and exercise, the ESG procedure can help those affected by obesity to lose weight.
Renuixen was the first patient to have ESG at St Mary’s, and the results have been life-changing. “I met the team around 8am, and the procedure was done by 10.30am,” he says. “It all felt very quick, and I didn’t feel sore, so it was kind of amazing. I was discharged just before 3pm and went back to my normal activities the next day.4”
It all felt very quick, and I didn’t feel
sore, so it was kind of amazing.
A ‘reset’ that offers a life-improving confidence boost
After the procedure, ESG patients reintroduce food slowly into their diet, progressing from liquid to solid food. While Renuixen needed to re-learn the capacity of his stomach, eating is still a pleasure. “I now eat less but still enjoy what’s on my plate,” he says, referring to his ESG procedure as a ‘reset button.’ “At a certain stage of a weight problem, it’s mental as much as physical, so exercise and dieting may only help so much. You need to reset.”
Regaining control
Now cancer-free and exercising regularly, he’s almost back to his normal weight. “I’m going to the gym five times a week, and I’ve joined a running club,” says Renuixen. “Seeing the transformation of your body is a boost to keep going. You stop hiding behind oversized clothes. You become more social. That’s what this procedure has done for me. It’s given me control over my life and my confidence back.”
Source: Boston Scientific 2025
ENDO-2129607-AB
CAUTION: This material is for informational purposes only and not meant for medical diagnosis. This information does not constitute medical or legal advice, and Boston Scientific makes no representation regarding the medical benefits included in this information. Boston Scientific strongly recommends that you consult with your physician on all matters pertaining to your health. Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary.
[1] Overview | Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty for obesity | Guidance | NICE
[2] Endoscopic Weight-Loss Treatments
[3] Overview | Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty for obesity | Guidance | NICE
[4] In the MERIT study, patients generally returned to routine daily activities in 2-3 days.
