Gastric Bypass Clinical Trials 2023

What Are Gastric Bypass Clinical Trials?

Gastric bypass is one of the most common bariatric or weight loss surgeries usually performed to help reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening conditions associated with obesity. The procedure involves creating a small pouch inside the stomach to hold only a limited amount of food. It is then connected to the small intestine, so the food goes directly there, bypassing the bigger portion of your stomach.

Gastric bypass clinical trials are research attempts to find more efficient ways to perform the surgery and reduce the associated risks.

Why Is Gastric Bypass Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

Since gastric bypass is a complex procedure that involves making permanent changes in the GI tract, there are certain risks associated with it. This bariatric surgery comes with post-op risks of esophagus dilation, infection, and stomach obstruction. The procedure can also pose long-term risks of hernias, ulcers, malnutrition, low blood sugar, and Dumping syndrome.

Despite the associated risks, gastric bypass surgery is a useful tool for doctors to prevent or treat obesity-related complications. Therefore, researchers have been conducting clinical trials to find newer and better ways to perform the surgery with lower risks and chances of complications.

What Are The Types of Treatments Available For Gastric Bypass?

Roux-en-Y is the gold standard of gastric bypass surgery. The procedure involves dividing the stomach into two unequal parts to create a pouch about the size of an egg on the top. This is followed by dividing the small intestine and connecting its bottom part to the newly created pouch in the stomach. Lastly, the top part of the small intestine is connected to its bottom-most part to allow the digestive enzymes and stomach acids from the bypassed stomach portion to get mixed with the food coming from the new stomach pouch.

In addition to helping people lose weight, gastric bypass can also reduce the risk of a number of potentially life-threatening obesity-related conditions. These include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, obstructive sleep apnea, and infertility.

What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Clinical Trials For Gastric Bypass?

2023: Metabolic bariatric surgery can help reduce the risk of pregnancy and neonatal complications due to maternal obesity, researchers from the LAC + USC Medical Center, University of Southern California concluded in a research study published in JAMA Surgery on November 9, 2023.

2020: According to a research study published in JAMA Surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is safer and more effective in albuminuria remission in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes than the best medical treatment. This led researchers to conclude that gastric bypass is a better treatment for early-stage chronic disease in obese people with type 2 diabetes than the best medical treatment.

Who Are Some Of The Key Opinion Leaders / Researchers / Institutions Conducting Gastric Bypass Clinical Trial Research?

WLSFA: Short for the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America, WLSFA is a non-profit, volunteer-run charitable organization working to bring awareness about the devastating impacts of obesity through educational programs and offer support to those in need by raising funds for their weight loss surgeries.

ASMBS: The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery is the largest non-profit national organization working to reduce the burden of obesity and its related conditions. Founded in 1983, the organization is working to advance the understanding of bariatric and metabolic surgeries, improving the care and treatment for people struggling with obesity, and advocating for making these treatments more accessible.