Former competitive weightlifter Dana Bichler lost more than 80 pounds after undergoing endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG), a minimally invasive weight loss procedure.After struggling with weight regain despite dieting and trying GLP-1 medications, Bichler pursued ESG amid concerns about his obesity-related fatty liver disease.Bichler says the procedure helped him regain his energy, become more physically active, and enjoy activities with his family that had become difficult because of his weight.<\/p>\n
For years, Dana Bichler was a competitive weightlifter. He felt fit and strong competing at 200 to 210 pounds. But wear and tear on his body and aging eventually pushed him to step away from weightlifting<\/a>. Without the training, he began to gain weight slowly and steadily.<\/p>\n \u201cI tried running<\/a>, and a few other things, and the weight just crept up,\u201d he told Healthline.<\/p>\n Dieting allowed him to lose about 50 pounds, but he would then regain it. At his heaviest, he weighed close to 300 pounds, which inspired him to visit a weight-loss clinic, where he followed a plan centered on the clinic\u2019s foods.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a life of deprivation,\u201d Bichler said. \u201cYou just can\u2019t live like it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was really no long-term positive effects or benefits that I saw,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Bichler understood the seriousness of the condition as his two younger sisters and his oldest brother also had fatty liver disease. His brother and youngest sister developed cirrhosis<\/a>, and his brother died after the disease affected other parts of his body.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to do something,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat I was doing was not working.\u201d<\/p>\n During ESG, a doctor passes an endoscope through the mouth and uses sutures to fold the stomach into a narrower sleeve. No portion of the stomach is removed, and there are no incisions. The smaller stomach limits how much a person can eat at once.<\/p>\n \u201cPatients typically go home the same day and can return to routine daily activities within two to three days,\u201d Brian Dunkin<\/a>, MD, chief medical officer at Boston Scientific, told Healthline. \u201cFor the right person, that provides another less-invasive option to consider with their healthcare professional.\u201d<\/p>\n While ESG may be a good option for some people who don\u2019t achieve weight loss goals with GLP-1 medications, can\u2019t tolerate them, or don\u2019t want to stay on medication long term, Dunkin said he doesn\u2019t think of it as ESG versus GLP-1 drugs.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the best things GLP-1 medications have done is get more people talking to their doctors about obesity and recognizing it as a chronic disease that deserves treatment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Each approach has different benefits, risks, and side effects.<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal is finding the right treatment, or combination of treatments, for the right patient at the right time,\u201d said Dunkin.<\/p>\n ESG is indicated for adults with obesity with a BMI between 30 and 50, but Dunkin said BMI is only part of the conversation. ESG may be an option for people who aren\u2019t getting the weight loss results they want, who don\u2019t want to stay on weight loss medication long term, or for whom bariatric surgery<\/a> may not be appropriate or desired, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cObesity is a chronic disease that requires long-term care,\u201d said Dunkin. \u201cESG is one part of that care, which is why I believe so strongly in a multidisciplinary approach. The goal is to look at the whole person and find a care plan they can sustain over time.\u201d<\/p>\n In March 2025, Bichler decided ESG was a good fit for him and received the procedure at Boston Scientific. At the time, he was 67 years old and on Medicare, which pre-approved the procedure.<\/p>\n \u201cI just felt comfortable with it not being invasive, and I really needed to deal with [my weight], so I did,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n When Bichler underwent ESG he weighed somewhere in the 260s. Today, he weighs 178 pounds.<\/p>\n While the procedure went smoothly, he said the following month was difficult. Because bread, pasta, rice, and carbonated drinks were off the table, he had to consume clear liquids, then slowly moved to other liquids, and eventually cream soups.<\/p>\n \u201cI found that extremely difficult,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n What surprised him most was depression. Looking back, he calls it a perfect storm. Working with his weight loss doctor, he had stopped taking his antidepressant about two weeks before the procedure. After surgery, his eating habits changed dramatically, disrupting the social life he\u2019d built around food.<\/p>\n \u201cI was in a pretty deep funk for a while,\u201d he said. \u201cI really was.\u201d<\/p>\n