Duodenal—Jejunal Bypass Sleeve: A Totally Endoscopic Device for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity

Morbid obesity affects over 15 million people in the United States. Nonsurgical management produces sustained weight loss in less than 5% of patients. Despite associated comorbidities, less than 1% of obese patients seek surgical intervention. Less invasive procedures have been developed with varying success. The Endobarrier ^™ (GI Dynamics^™, Watertown, MA) duodenal—jejunal bypass sleeve is a totally endoscopically delivered device designed to produce weight loss in the morbidly obese. We describe the first placement of a duodenal—jejunal bypass sleeve in a patient in the United States. A blinded, randomized, prospective clinical trial was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate safety and efficacy of a novel device for weight loss in the obese. The first patient enrolled was a 36-year-old woman with body mass index of 45.2. After informed consent, endoscopic placement of the device under general anesthesia was performed using fluoroscopy to confirm positioning. The device was placed without complications. At conclusion of the 3-month study period, the device was removed endoscopically. Total weight lost by the patient was 9.09 kg. Described herein is the first deployment of the duodenal—jejunal bypass sleeve in North America. The device is delivered in a totally endoscopic manner in morbidly obese patients. In our patient, total weight loss at 3 months was 9.09 kg. Continued follow-up and enrollment is ongoing to demonstrate patient safety and efficacy. Additional studies are being performed to elucidate mechanism of weight loss and future clinical applications of this device.