CHINA PERFORMS FIRST IMPLANT PROCEDURE TO TREAT ALCOHOL ADDICTION
The Third People’s Hospital of Fuyang City, located in Anhui Province in eastern China, has performed the region’s first surgical procedure to implant a device designed to treat alcohol addiction. This was reported by China Daily, citing the hospital.
The procedure took place on April 8. Under local anesthesia, ten capsules – each about the size of a soybean – were implanted under the skin in the lower abdomen of a male patient in his forties who had been struggling with alcohol dependence for more than 20 years. The entire operation took less than five minutes.
The implant is not an electronic device. It consists of capsules containing naltrexone, a medication that reduces psychological cravings for alcohol. The capsules are designed to gradually release the active ingredient over a period of more than six months.
The patient had previously undergone treatment nine times, but each time he relapsed after discharge. According to doctors, his alcohol abuse had led to aggression and conflict within the family.
Authorities emphasize that the use of such implants must be approved by a treating physician and depends on the patient’s individual condition. This method was first introduced as part of clinical trials in 2023.