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The origin of our technologies

Weight Doctors SLEEVE® pose® procedure

A pioneer of today’s stomach reduction without surgery: during a gastroscopy, the stomach is folded from the inside. Today we use pose® only in its further-developed form in the Weight Doctors SLEEVE®.

How your therapy is structured

Two building blocks.
One plan.

The Weight Doctors® MEMBERSHIP is the foundation of every therapy: medical oversight, progress monitoring and aftercare. The treatment you choose together with your specialist builds on it.

Building block 1

Weight Doctors® MEMBERSHIP

The foundation for every Weight Doctors® therapy – with the tools that support your treatment and record your progress for your medical consultations.

  • Weight Doctors® AppKeep an eye on weight, activity and sleep, for iOS and Android
  • Digital body scalesBluetooth scales – the readings flow straight into the app
  • 3D BodyscanMeasure body composition objectively, up to twice a year
  • Priority access to specialistsby phone, video or on site, without a long wait
  • 360 coaches and Weight Doctors® MiraNutrition and behaviour in everyday life, aftercare with your coaches
  • E-prescription servicePrescriptions issued digitally – after medical approval
More on the Membership
Building block 2

Weight Doctors SLEEVE® pose® procedure

A pioneer of today’s stomach reduction without surgery: during a gastroscopy, the stomach is folded from the inside. Today we use pose® only in its further-developed form in the Weight Doctors SLEEVE®.

Procedure
Endoscopic, designed to be permanent
Duration
approx. 45 minutes
Price
from £10,500
Costs

The Membership does not replace a medical decision: whether treatment makes sense, and which one, is decided by your specialist after a medical assessment.

In comparison

First generation and today

Both work with anchors and threads during a gastroscopy. They differ in where and how much the stomach is reduced.

  • pose® (first generation)

    The predecessor
    Site of action
    Stomach entrance and stomach exit
    Stomach reduction
    by about 30%
    Use at Weight Doctors®
    no longer in this form

  • Further development

    In use today
    Site of action
    along the entire length of the stomach
    Stomach reduction
    by up to 75%
    Use at Weight Doctors®
    in all major procedures of the Weight Doctors SLEEVE®

Personally here for youDr. Nava Zimmer · Internal medicine and gastroenterology

Your guide

The pose® procedure at a glance

How an idea became the first permanent stomach reduction without surgery – and what of it is in the Weight Doctors SLEEVE® today.

The beginnings of pose® technology

The pose® technology was developed by the US company USgi Medical; the name stands for “Primary Obesity Surgery Endoluminal”. The researchers and developers started from a simple consideration: severe excess weight limits many people not only in their quality of life, but also weighs on their outward appearance, their emotional strength and their health – often for years. Medically, for a long time there were only complex approaches with long recovery and significant risks.

After many years of research, pose® emerged: a technology with which the stomach could be reduced permanently for the first time without operating. It combined the permanence of an operation with the advantages of a simple gastroscopy and thus became a pioneer of today’s stomach reduction without surgery.

pose® is regarded as a particularly gentle procedure within minimally invasive obesity treatment. Minimally invasive means: interfering with the integrity of the body as little as possible and leaving as few traces as possible. Even today’s further-developed generation is so gentle that those around you often barely notice the procedure.

Stomach after the pose® procedure with folds in the upper area and before the stomach exit, the former stomach size outlined in red
The stomach after the original pose® procedure: folded in the upper area and before the stomach exit – the red line shows the former size.

Advantages of the pose® procedure

  • Designed for the long termThe stomach reduction is not limited in time. This can help to control the feeling of hunger better in the long term.
  • No incisionsThere is no external incision, and no scars remain.
  • OutpatientUnlike surgical alternatives, the procedure can be carried out as an outpatient, without a hospital stay.
  • Quickly back to everyday lifeAs a rule, you are socially presentable again after 3–4 days and can return to family and work.

Who is the procedure suitable for?

The original pose® was suited above all to smaller weight-loss goals; the further development has shifted this limit. At a glance:

  • For many people who are severely overweight or have obesity with a BMI of more than 27.
  • In its further-developed form in the Weight Doctors SLEEVE®, up to a BMI of about 50, in exceptional cases also above.
  • Whether the treatment is right for you, we clarify together in a personal consultation with an obesity specialist.
  • The treatment helps only as much as you are prepared to change your lifestyle in the long term.
  1. BMI from 27Endo sleeve (up to BMI 40)
  2. BMI from 35Extended Sleeve and Extended Sleeve+ (up to BMI 49)
BMI scale according to the WHOCalculate your BMI

How the procedure works

The procedure took about 45 minutes, under general anaesthesia:

Endoscopic instrument in the specialist’s hand, the monitor in the background
  1. Access via the oesophagusThe procedure is endoscopic: special miniature tools reach the stomach via the oesophagus.
  2. Placing anchorsSmall anchors puncture the inner stomach wall. Depending on constitution, starting weight and stomach size, the specialists place 10–16 anchors.
  3. Forming foldsOnce the anchors are secure, they are connected with special threads. This creates stomach folds, and the stomach is drawn together.
  4. Two points of actionFolds at the stomach entrance can make you feel full sooner, folds at the stomach exit can prolong the feeling of fullness. The stomach volume falls by about 30%.

How safe was pose®?

pose® was used more than ten thousand times worldwide and examined in extensive medical studies. In direct comparison with other well-known obesity therapies, two things stood out in particular: a high level of patient safety and good comfort after the treatment, because side effects are mostly much milder.

On this basis, our specialists work with the further development today. Every procedure is preceded by a personal consultation, information on the procedure and the assessment of whether it is indicated by a specialist.

Nurse planning the day’s procedures on the whiteboard
  • GermanyPD Dr. WichmannSpecialist in visceral surgery & expert in endobariatrics
  • GermanyNetherlandsDr. ScheffelSpecialist in general and bariatric surgery
  • GermanyAustriaProf. MillerSpecialist in general and visceral surgery

All specialists

What results were possible?

Scientific studies have shown that with pose®, excess weight could be reduced by 30–40% on average within 2 years. Compared with conventional therapies, patients lost considerably more weight.

At least as important as the figures: a permanent stomach reduction can help to avoid the yo-yo effect, which brings the kilos back after many diets. Results vary from person to person – they depend on how consistently you change your diet and exercise habits. We support you in this, for example with Weight Doctors® 360° nutrition coaching.

Results vary from person to person. The images show Weight Doctors® patients who have consented to their publication.

From pose® to pose® 3.0 Double Helix

Today we are consistently developing pose® technology further. The latest generation, pose® 3.0 Double Helix, no longer reduces the stomach only at its entrance and exit, but along its entire length – by up to 75%. This also makes considerably higher weight-loss goals achievable.

It is used in all major procedures of the Weight Doctors SLEEVE®. Your contacts at Weight Doctors® help you find the suitable procedure and support you with nutrition and exercise programmes on the way to a healthier lifestyle. If you would rather be treated without nickel, choose OverStitch NXT™.

Weight Doctors® lounge with green sofas and logo on the wall

What does the Weight Doctors SLEEVE® cost today?

We no longer offer the original pose® procedure. The Weight Doctors SLEEVE® with the further development is available from £10,500, including private medical preliminary examination and aftercare.

All prices

Paying in instalments: how it works

If you would like to spread the costs over a longer period, payment in instalments via our partner Ideal4Finance is possible. You decide the instalment amount and term yourself; Ideal4Finance reviews your application promptly. You submit the application together with us during your consultation, by phone or entirely paperless online – more under Pay in instalments.

The requirement is sufficient creditworthiness. In detail:

  • Main residence in Germany
  • no negative Schufa entries
  • employed or retired, with disposable income
  • Students, trainees and homemakers can enter a second person from the same household as the borrower – a parent, child, spouse or partner

Apply for instalmentsMore on instalments

Your specialists

In specialist hands.

39 doctors in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and South Africa – at the Weight Doctors® Nationalklinik in Wertheim and at your location.

  • GermanyNetherlandsDr. ScheffelSpecialist in general and bariatric surgery
  • GermanyAustriaProf. MillerSpecialist in general and visceral surgery
  • GermanyPD Dr. WichmannSpecialist in visceral surgery & expert in endobariatrics
  • GermanyM. MargolinsSpecialist in general surgery
  • GermanyM. ShalabiSpecialist in general and visceral surgery
  • GermanyNetherlandsDr. JennerSpecialist in visceral surgery / specialised visceral surgery
  • GermanyDr. SchüderSpecialist in general, visceral and vascular surgery / specialist in specialised visceral surgery
  • GermanyA. SaberSpecialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
  • NetherlandsProf. GreveSpecialist in visceral and bariatric surgery
  • South AfricaDr. HanningtonSpecialist in surgery
  • South AfricaDr. MabeSpecialist in surgery
  • South AfricaDr. WolmaransSpecialist in surgery
  • GermanyDr. JohnSpecialist in internal medicine & gastroenterology
  • GermanyNetherlandsDr. MörmelSpecialist in internal medicine

All specialists

Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Weight Doctors SLEEVE® pose® procedure

Your question isn’t listed? Your specialist will take time for it during the consultation.

What does pose® mean?

pose® stands for “Primary Obesity Surgery Endoluminal”, that is, a treatment of obesity from inside the stomach. It was developed by the US company USgi Medical.

How exactly does stomach reduction without surgery work?

The specialist guides miniature tools through the oesophagus into the stomach and creates folds there, which are held by tiny anchors. With the original pose®, this was done at the upper and lower end of the stomach: studies show that these folds can help you feel full after even small amounts and stay full for longer.

Is the original pose® procedure still offered?

No. At Weight Doctors®, we use pose® only in its further-developed form: pose® 3.0 Double Helix in the Weight Doctors SLEEVE®.

How long did the procedure take?

About 45 minutes, under general anaesthesia. The procedure was possible as an outpatient; a hospital stay was not necessary.

How many anchors are placed?

With the original pose®, the specialists placed 10–16 anchors, depending on constitution, starting weight and stomach size.

Will scars remain?

No. The procedure is carried out through the oesophagus in the stomach itself; there is no incision on the outside.

When are you socially presentable again?

As a rule after 3–4 days, that is, after a long weekend. This also applies to today’s further-developed generation.

Am I suitable for treatment at all?

We find this out together in a personal consultation with an obesity specialist. Endoscopic stomach reduction is an option for many people with severe excess weight or obesity from a BMI of 27.

How safe is pose® technology?

Compared with classic obesity surgery procedures, the risks are lower, and side effects after the treatment are mostly milder. It nevertheless remains a medical procedure with risks – that is why we inform you thoroughly beforehand.

How much weight can I lose?

In many cases it is up to 20% of the starting weight; this corresponds to about 30–40% of the excess weight. How much you lose depends on your individual circumstances and on how persistently you actively support the treatment. Results vary from person to person.

Can stomach reduction protect against the yo-yo effect?

It can help. After many diets the kilos come back quickly; a permanent stomach reduction can lower this risk because it influences the feeling of hunger in the long term. What remains decisive is that you change your lifestyle in the long term.

What if I want to lose more weight?

For this there are now Extended Sleeve and Extended Sleeve+ in the Weight Doctors SLEEVE® – for weight-loss goals of up to about 50 kg. For even higher goals, an operation from Weight Doctors BARIATRICS® may be an option.

Why Weight Doctors®

Good reasons for Weight Doctors®.

Specialised in one thing: lasting weight loss – from medication to surgery, with specialists at your location and our own Nationalklinik.

  • 23Locations in 6 countries
  • 39specialists
  • 5×ProvenExpert Top Recommendation in a row
  • 5treatments from gentle to surgical
ProvenExpert Top Recommendation 2022ProvenExpert Top Recommendation 2023ProvenExpert Top Recommendation 2024ProvenExpert Top Recommendation 2025ProvenExpert Top Recommendation 2026

All 13 reasons

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Other treatments

All paths.
From gentle to surgical.

Every method has its place. Here you can see at a glance how major the procedure is, how long it takes and what starting price you can expect.

Wide range of services
no procedure
Surgery
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Medication-based, no procedure

Medically supervised pharmacotherapy with regular progress monitoring – with no procedure at all.

Duration3–12 months
Pricefrom €599
No procedure

Weight Doctors® 360°

Nutrition coaching

Nutrition coaching and support in everyday life – in person, by video and in the app.

Durationper session
Pricefrom £49
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Weight Doctors® GASTRIC BALLOON

Temporary, also swallowable

A temporary companion for 6 or 12 months – also swallowable, with no endoscopy at all.

Duration6 or 12 months
Pricefrom £4,250
You are hereNo surgery

Weight Doctors SLEEVE®

Endoscopic, permanent

Permanent stomach reduction without conventional surgery – endoscopic, outpatient, without scars.

Duration30–60 min
Pricefrom £10,500
With surgery

Weight Doctors BARIATRICS®

Surgical, minimally invasive

Gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery for higher BMIs, incl. preliminary examination and aftercare.

Duration1–3 nights
Pricefrom £16,900

All treatments

Consultation

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