Roux en Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most effective weight loss therapies, but due to the chronic progressive nature of obesity, nearly one third of patients will experience weight regain. One reason that weight regain may occur is that the gastric pouch can stretch over time, leading to a greater capacity and reduced sense of fullness. Specifically, the connection point between the pouch and the small intestine—known as the gastrojejunal anastomosis, or “outlet”—may dilate over time, impacting portion control. Transoral outlet reduction (TORe) is an endoscopic revisional option for patients wishing to avoid the risks of surgical revision. As a novel therapy, published studies of TORe safety and efficacy have been exclusively derived from large academic centers, and feasibility and success rates in a community, non-academic setting are not known.
As the highest-volume, non-academic TORe center in the United States, True You Weight Loss has a unique opportunity to evaluate the weight loss and safety outcomes of this procedure in the community setting. The findings of this study will provide important information to the field of endoscopic bariatric therapies.
Methods: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data on 284 consecutive patients who underwent TORe at True You Weight Loss between September 2020 and September 2022. All patients were enrolled in a comprehensive lifestyle program with long-term nutritional support and monitoring. The primary study outcome is total body weight loss at 12 months. Secondary outcomes include safety, excess weight loss over time, and predictors of weight loss.
Study status: study complete; findings will be submitted for publication at Digestive Diseases Week 2023 (Chicago, IL).
