Brunaldi, Vitor

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has gained popularity over the past decade and has been adopted in both academic and private institutions globally. We present outcomes of the largest cohort of patients from the United States undergoing ESG and evaluate these according to obesity class. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of adult patients who underwent ESG. Medical information was abstracted from the electronic record with weight records up to 2 years after ESG. Percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months was calculated based on baseline weight at the procedure. SPSS (version 29.0) was used for all statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 1,506 patients from 7 sites were included (501 Class I obesity, 546 Class II, and 459 Class III). Baseline demographics differed according to obesity class due to differences in age, body mass index (BMI), height, sex distribution, and race. As early as 6 months post-ESG, mean BMI for each class dropped to the next lower class and remained there through 2 years. %TWBL achieved in the Class III group was significantly greater when compared with other classes at all time points. At 12 months, 83.2% and 60.9% of patients had ≥10% and ≥15% TBWL for all classes. There were no differences in adverse events between classes. DISCUSSION: Real-world data from a large cohort of patients of all BMI classes across the United States shows significant and sustained weight loss with ESG. ESG is safe to perform in a higher obesity class with acceptable midterm efficacy.

Abstract Background and study aims Traditional transoral outlet reduction (TORe) is a minimally invasive endoscopic approach focused on reducing the aperture of the gastrojejunal (GJ) anastomosis, while the tubular transoral outlet reduction (tTORe) consists of tabularization of the distal pouch utilizing an O-shape gastroplasty suturing pattern. The primary aim of this study was to compare short-term weight loss between TORe and tTORe. Patients and methods Retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was conducted at a tertiary care bariatric center of excellence. The study included patients with history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) who had an endoscopic revision by TORe or tTORe and had follow-up data in their electronic medical record. The primary outcome was percent total body weight loss (%TBWL). Results A total of 128 patients were included (tTORe=85, TORe=43). At 3 and 6 months, the tTORe and TORe cohorts presented similar %TBWL (3 months: 8.5±4.9 vs. 7.3±6.0, P = 0.27 and 6 months: 8.1±7.4 vs. 6.8±5.6, P = 0.44). At 9 months, there was a trend toward greater weight loss in the tTORe cohort (9.7±8.6% vs. 5.1±6.8%, P = 0.053). At 12 months, the %TBWL was significantly higher in the tubularization group compared to the standard group (8.2±10.8 vs. 2.3±7.3%, P = 0.01). Procedure time was significantly different between both groups (60.5 vs. 53.4 minutes, P = 0.03). The adverse events rate was similar between groups (8.2% vs. 7.0% for tTORe and TORe, respectively, P = 0.61). Conclusions The tTORe enhances efficacy and durability of the standard procedure without adding significant procedure-related risks.

Background The primary obesity surgery endoluminal 2.0 (POSE 2.0) procedure involves full-thickness gastric body plications to narrow the stomach using durable suture anchor pairs. We evaluated POSE 2.0 as a treatment strategy for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with obesity. Methods Adults with obesity and NAFLD were prospectively allocated based on their preference to undergo POSE 2.0 with lifestyle modification or lifestyle modification alone (control). Primary end points were improvement in controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and resolution of hepatic steatosis at 12 months. Secondary end points included %total body weight loss (%TBWL), change in serum measures of hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance, and procedure safety. Results 42 adult patients were included (20 in the POSE 2.0 arm and 22 in the control arm). At 12 months, POSE 2.0 significantly improved CAP, whereas lifestyle modification alone did not (P < 0.001 for POSE 2.0; P = 0.24 for control). Similarly, both resolution of steatosis and %TBWL were significantly higher with POSE 2.0 than with control at 12 months. Compared with controls, POSE 2.0 significantly improved liver enzymes, hepatic steatosis index, and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio at 12 months. There were no serious adverse events. Conclusion POSE 2.0 was effective for NAFLD in patients with obesity, with good durability and safety profile.

Abstract Background and study aims Significant weight regain affects up to one-third of patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and demands treatment. Transoral outlet reduction (TORe) with argon plasma coagulation (APC) alone or APC plus full-thickness suturing TORe (APC-FTS) is effective in the short term. However, no study has investigated the course of gastrojejunostomy (GJ) or quality of life (QOL) data after the first post-procedure year. Patients and methods Patients eligible for a 36-month follow-up visit after TORe underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with measurement of the GJ and answered QOL questionnaires (RAND-36). The primary aim was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of TORe, including weight loss, QOL, and GJ anastomosis (GJA) size. Comparisons between APC and APC-FTS TORe were a secondary aim. Results Among 39 eligible patients, 29 returned for the 3-year follow-up visit. There were no significant differences in demographics between APC and APC-FTS TORe groups. At 3 years, patients from both groups regained all the weight lost at 12 months, and the GJ diameter was similar to the pre-procedure assessment. As to QOL, most improvements seen at 12 months were lost at 3 years, returning to pre-procedure levels. Only the energy/fatigue domain improvement was kept between the 1- and 3-year visits. Conclusions Obesity is a chronic relapsing disease. Most effects of TORe are lost at 3 years, and redilation of the GJA occurs. Therefore, TORe should be considered iterative rather than a one-off procedure.