Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have achieved what is believed to be the nation’s first stomach reduction via the mouth.

The novel weight loss procedure, known as a sleeve gastrectomy, reduces the stomach to 20 percent of its original size, the school said in a news release on Monday.

The smaller stomach leads to less caloric intake and increased feelings of fullness, according to the release.

This is the first time in the United States that the excess stomach has been removed through the mouth rather than a large open incision.

The one-hour procedure is described as a hybrid laparoscopic and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). Five small incisions were made in the abdomen to accomplish the task of partially removing then closing the stomach. The small ports allowed for cameras and instruments to enter the abdomen and for staples to be deployed to safely close the stomach. Patients lose approximately 2-4 pounds per week following surgery.

“By removing 80 percent of the stomach through the mouth we minimized trauma to the abdomen,” said Santiago Horgan, MD, chief of minimally invasive surgery and director for the university’s Center for the Treatment of Obesity. “The absence of a large open incision reduced the risk of hernia and greatly diminished pain for the patient. We are getting closer to weight loss surgery with no scars.”

“The number of options for minimally invasive weight loss surgery is rapidly evolving,” said Horgan. “Our goal is to offer patients a customized long-term solution for losing weight with as few scars as possible, and if desired, no medical devices.”