Shu-Chun Chen

Gastric bypass vs sleeve gastrectomy for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacies of 2 weight-reducing operations on diabetic control and the role of duodenum exclusion. DESIGN Double-blind randomized controlled trial. SETTING Department of Surgery of the Min-Sheng General Hospital, National Taiwan University. PATIENTS We studied 60 moderately obese patients (body mass index >25 and <35) aged >30 to <60 years who had poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (hemoglobin A(1c) [HbA(1c)] >7.5%) after conventional treatment (>6 months) from September 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. Patients and observers were masked during the follow-up, which ended in 2009, 1 year after final enrollment. INTERVENTIONS Gastric bypass with duodenum exclusion (n = 30) vs sleeve gastrectomy without duodenum exclusion (n = 30). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was remission of T2DM (fasting glucose <126 mg/dL and HbA(1c) <6.5% without glycemic therapy). Secondary measures included weight and metabolic syndrome. Analysis was by intention to treat. RESULTS Of the 60 patients enrolled, all completed the 12-month follow-up. Remission of T2DM was achieved by 28 (93%) in the gastric bypass group and 14 (47%) in the sleeve gastrectomy group (P = .02). Participants assigned to gastric bypass had lost more weight, achieved a lower waist circumference, and had lower glucose, HbA(1c), and blood lipid levels than the sleeve gastrectomy group. No serious complications occurred in either group. CONCLUSIONS Participants randomized to gastric bypass were more likely to achieve remission of T2DM. Duodenum exclusion plays a role in T2DM treatment and should be assessed. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00540462 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

Predicting the Glycemic Response to Gastric Bypass Surgery in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To find clinically meaningful preoperative predictors of diabetes remission and conversely inadequate glycemic control after gastric bypass surgery. Predicting the improvement in glycemic control in those with type 2 diabetes after bariatric surgery may help in patient selection. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Preoperative details of 154 ethnic Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes were examined for their influence on glycemic outcomes at 1 year after gastric bypass. Remission was defined as HbA1c ≤6%. Analysis involved binary logistic regression to identify predictors and provide regression equations and receiver operating characteristic curves to determine clinically useful cutoff values. RESULTS Remission was achieved in 107 subjects (69.5%) at 12 months. Diabetes duration <4 years, body mass >35 kg/m2, and fasting C-peptide concentration >2.9 ng/mL provided three independent preoperative predictors and three clinically useful cutoffs. The regression equation classification plot derived from continuous data correctly assigned 84% of participants. A combination of two or three of these predictors allows a sensitivity of 82% and specificity of 87% for remission. Duration of diabetes (with different cutoff points) and C-peptide also predicted those cases in which HbA1c ≤7% was not attained. Percentage weight loss after surgery was also predictive of remission and of less satisfactory outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The glycemic response to gastric bypass is related to BMI, duration of diabetes, fasting C-peptide (influenced by insulin resistance and residual β-cell function), and weight loss. These data support and refine previous findings in non-Asian populations. Specific ethnic and procedural regression equations and cutoff points may vary.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for diabetes treatment in nonmorbidly obese patients: Efficacy and change of insulin secretion

BACKGROUND Sleeve gastrectomy is a new bariatric surgery, and many reports have showed that patients who have undergone sleeve gastrectomy have experienced rapid resolution of type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms accounting for the beneficial effects of sleeve gastrectomy on glucose homeostasis are not well understood and remain speculative. This trial assessed prospectively the effect of sleeve gastrectomy on type 2 diabetes and the serial changes of insulin secretion to oral glucose loads. METHODS Prospective study on the response of insulin secretion to oral glucose loads in 20 severe diabetic patients (body mass index [BMI] >25 and <35, HbA1C >7.5%) before and at 1, 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after sleeve gastrectomy. The insulin secretion was measured by insulinogenic index and area under the curve (AUC) during a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Remission of type 2 diabetes was defined as fasting glucose level <126 mg/dL and HbA1C <6.5% without any glycemic therapy. RESULTS Of the 20 patients enrolled, the mean age was 46.3 + or - 8.0 years, mean BMI was 31.0 + or - 2.9 kg/m(2), and mean HbA1C was 10.1 + or - 2.2. The mean BMI and excess body weight loss at 1, 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after operation were 28.9 (22.1%), 27.4 (43.0%), 25.7 (55.1%), 24.9 (71.9%), and 24.6 (69.1%), respectively. The mean HbA1C at 1, 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after operation were 9.2, 8.4, 7.7, 7.3, and 7.1, respectively. Resolution of type 2 diabetes was achieved in 2 (20%) patients at 4 weeks, 6 (30%) at 12 weeks, 8 (40%) at 26 weeks, and 10 (50%) at 52 weeks after sleeve gastrectomy. Before operation, the mean fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were 240.1 + 80.9 mg/dL and 16.8 + or - 15.4 uIU/mL, respectively. The OGTT test showed a blunted insulin secretion pattern with an AUC of 3,135 uIU x min/mL. At 1 week after operation, the fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels significantly decreased to 158 + or - 52 mg/dL and 5.6 + or - 3.2 uIU/mL, respectively. The AUC decreased to 2,988.7 uIU x min/mL. The AUC at 4, 12, 26, and 52 weeks after operation was 2,211, 1,584, 3,621, and 3,351 uIU x min/mL, respectively. The diabetes resolution rates for those with pre-operative C-peptide <3, 3-6, and >6 ng/mL were 1/7 (14.3%), 7/11 (63.6%), and 2/2 (100%), respectively (P < .05). CONCLUSION Laparosopic gastric sleeve gastrectomy resulted in remission of poorly controlled nonmorbidly obese T2DM patients up to 50% at 1 year after operation. The effect is related more to the decreasing of insulin resistance because of calorie restriction and weight loss rather than to the increasing of insulin secretion. C-peptide >3 ng/mL is the most important predictor for a successful treatment.

Changes in postprandial gut hormones after metabolic surgery: a comparison of gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic gastric bypass (GB) is reportedly more effective than laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) in the treatment of patients with a low body mass index and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the mechanism remains speculative. We compared the postprandial gut hormone patterns between patients undergoing laparoscopic GB and laparoscopic SG at 2 years after surgery in a hospital-based, prospective study. METHODS A total of 16 laparoscopic GB and 16 laparoscopic SG patients were followed up and appraised for glucose homeostasis. Two years after surgery, the mixed meal test and gut hormones were evaluated in 13 laparoscopic GB and 13 laparoscopic SG patients who had been included in the previous randomized trial. RESULTS The preoperative characteristics, such as body mass index, body weight, waist circumference, and duration of T2DM were comparable between the 2 groups. T2DM remission was achieved in 13 (81%) laparoscopic GB and 3 (19%) laparoscopic SG patients (P < .05) 2 years after surgery. The laparoscopic GB patients had lost more weight and had a smaller waist circumference and lower levels of glucose and hemoglobin A1c, and lower insulin resistance than the SG patients. Significant differences were found in acyl ghrelin, des-acyl ghrelin, cholecystokinin, and resistin between the 2 groups, but none in obestatin, gastric inhibitory peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1, and leptin. CONCLUSIONS Both laparoscopic GB and laparoscopic SG have strong hindgut effects after surgery, but GB has a significant duodenal exclusion effect on cholecystokinin. The laparoscopic SG group had lower acyl ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin levels but greater concentrations of resistin than the laparoscopic GB group.

Predicting success of metabolic surgery: age, body mass index, C-peptide, and duration score.

BACKGROUND Surgery is the most effective treatment of morbid obesity and leads to dramatic improvements in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Gastrointestinal metabolic surgery has been proposed as a treatment option for T2DM. However, a grading system to categorize and predict the outcome of metabolic surgery is lacking. The study setting was a tertiary referral hospital (Taoyuan City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan). METHODS We first evaluated 63 patients and identified 4 factors that predicted the success of T2DM remission after bariatric surgery in this cohort: body mass index, C-peptide level, T2DM duration, and patient age. We used these variables to construct the Diabetes Surgery Score, a multidimensional 10-point scale along which greater scores indicate a better chance of T2DM remission. We then validated the index in a prospective collected cohort of 176 patients, using remission of T2DM at 1 year after surgery as the outcome variable. RESULTS A total of 48 T2DM remissions occurred among the 63 patients and 115 remissions (65.3%) in the validation cohort. Patients with T2DM remission after surgery had a greater Diabetes Surgery Score than those without (8 ± 4 versus 4 ± 4, P < .05). Patients with a greater Diabetes Surgery Score also had a greater rate of success with T2DM remission (from 33% at score 0 to 100% at score 10); A 1-point increase in the Diabetes Surgery Score translated to an absolute 6.7% in the success rate. CONCLUSION The Diabetes Surgery Score is a simple multidimensional grading system that can predict the success of T2DM treatment using bariatric surgery among patients with inadequately controlled T2DM.

Gastric bypass in Type 2 diabetes with BMI < 30: weight and weight loss have a major influence on outcomes

To assess factors influencing glycaemic control following gastric bypass surgery in patients with Type 2 diabetes and BMI< 30 kg/m2.

Revisional surgery for laparoscopic minigastric bypass

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic minigastric bypass (LMGB), a sleeved gastric tube with Billroth II anastomosis, has been proposed as an alternative to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) for morbid obesity. However, the data regarding revision surgery after LMGB during long-term follow-up is not clear. METHODS From January 2001 to December 2009, 1322 patients (996 women and 326 men, mean age 31.6 ± 9.1 years, mean body mass index 40.2 ± 7.4 kg/m(2)), who were enrolled in a surgically supervised weight loss program and had undergone LMGB were included. All the patients received regular yearly follow-up, and all the clinical data were prospectively collected and stored. The reasons and type of surgery for revision surgery were identified and analyzed. RESULTS The excess weight loss and mean body mass index at 5 years after LMGB was 72.1% and 27.1 ± 4.6 kg/m(2). Of the 1322 patients, 23 (1.7%) had undergone revision surgery during a follow-up of 9 years. The estimated accumulated revision rate of 9 years was 2.69% for LMGB. The most common cause of revision was malnutrition in 9 (39.1%), followed by inadequate weight loss in 8 (34.7%), and intractable bile reflux and dissatisfaction each in 3 (13.0%). The type of revision surgery was LRYGB in 11 (47.8%), sleeve gastrectomy in 10 (43.5%), and conversion to a normal anatomic state in 2 (8.6%). All the revision procedures were performed using a laparoscopic approach, without major complications. Two patients underwent repeat second revision surgery to duodenal switch and biliopancreatic diversion each in 1 patient. All patients had satisfactory results after revision surgery. No patients had undergone revision surgery for internal hernia or ileus during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION LMGB resulted in significant and sustained weight loss with an acceptably low revision rate at long-term follow-up. Revision surgery after LMGB can be performed using a laparoscopic approach with a low risk.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for type 2 diabetes mellitus: predicting the success by ABCD score

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is becoming a primary bariatric surgery for obesity and related diseases. This study presents the outcome of LSG with regard to the remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM) and the usefulness of a grading system to categorize and predict outcome of T2 DM remission. METHODS A total of 157 patients with T2 DM (82 women and 75 men) with morbid obesity (mean body mass index 39.0±7.4 kg/m(2)) who underwent LSG from 2006 to 2013 were selected for the present study. The ABCD score is composed of the patients age, body mass index, C-peptide level, and duration of T2 DM (yr). The remission of T2 DM after LSG was evaluated using the ABCD score. RESULTS At 12 months after surgery, 85 of the patients had complete follow-up data. The weight loss was 26.5% and the mean HbA1c decreased from 8.1% to 6.1%. A significant number of patients had improvement in their glycemic control, including 45 (52.9%) patients who had complete remission (HbA1c<6.0%), another 18 (21.2%) who had partial remission (HbA1c<6.5%), and 9 (10.6%) who improved (HbA1c<7%). Patients who had T2 DM remission after surgery had a higher ABCD score than those who did not (7.3±1.7 versus 5.2±2.1, P<.05). Patients with a higher ABCD score were also at a higher rate of success in T2 DM remission (from 0% in score 0 to 100% in score 10). CONCLUSION LSG is an effective and well-tolerated procedure for achieving weight loss and T2 DM remission. The ABCD score, a simple multidimensional grading system, can predict the success of T2 DM treatment by LSG.

Effect of Bariatric Surgery vs Medical Treatment on Type 2 Diabetes in Patients With Body Mass Index Lower Than 35: Five-Year Outcomes.

IMPORTANCE It has been well recognized that metabolic surgery has short-term benefits for mildly obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but how long these effects can be sustained is uncertain. OBJECTIVE To compare the 5-year efficacy between gastrointestinal metabolic surgery and medical treatment on glycemic control and diabetes remission in patients with T2DM and body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) lower than 35. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study compares long-term outcomes for mildly obese patients with T2DM receiving metabolic surgery (n = 52) vs medical treatment (n = 299). The surgical group, enrolled from August 20, 2007, to June 25, 2008, and followed up through December 31, 2013, received standard sleeve gastrectomy (n = 19) or bypass (n = 33) procedures in a regional hospital. The medical group, selected from a nationwide community cohort that was recruited from August 27, 2003, to December 31, 2005, and followed up through December 31, 2012, was matched with the surgical group by age, BMI, and diabetes duration. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reduction and prolonged complete and partial diabetes remission (defined as HbA1c <6.0% and 6.0%-6.5% of total hemoglobin [Hb; to convert to proportion of total Hb, multiply by 0.01], respectively, for those who were exempted from any antidiabetic drugs for 5 years). RESULTS At the end of the fifth year, the surgical group had a mean weight loss of 21.0% (from a mean [SD] BMI of 31.0 [2.4] to 24.5 [2.7]), their mean (SD) HbA1c decreased from 9.1% (2.1%) to 6.3% (1.1%) of total Hb, 18 participants (36.0%) had complete remission, 14 (28.0%) had partial remission, 1 (1.9%) died, and 1 (1.9%) had end-stage renal disease. In the same follow-up period in the medical group, 3 (1.2%) had complete remission, 4 (1.6%) had partial remission, 9 (3.0%) died, and 2 (0.7%) had end-stage renal disease; their mean HbA1c remained around 8% of total Hb (mean [SD], 8.1% [1.8%] of total Hb at baseline and 8.0% [1.6%] of total Hb at 5 years), and BMI also stayed similar (mean [SD], 29.1 [2.4] at baseline and 28.8 [2.6] at 5 years). The HbA1c reduction and complete and partial remission rates were all significantly larger in the surgical group as compared with the medical group (all P < .001). However, the mortality rate and end-stage renal disease incidence were not significantly different in these 2 comparison groups (P = .66 and .37, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE For mildly obese patients with T2DM, the improvement in glycemic control from metabolic surgery lasts at least 5 years. However, the survival benefit and lifelong adverse outcomes require more than 5 years to be established.

Predictors of diabetes remission after bariatric surgery in Asia

BACKGROUND Obesity and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are closely related and difficult to control by current medical treatment. Bariatric surgery has been proposed for inadequately controlled T2DM in association with obesity. However, prediction of successful T2DM remission after surgery has not been clearly studied in Asian patients. This information might be helpful for applying gastrointestinal surgery as metabolic surgery for T2DM. METHODS This was a retrospective clinical study. From January 2002 to December 2008, 88 consecutive patients with morbid obesity, who were enrolled into a surgically supervised weight loss program, and who had T2DM before surgery with at least 1 year complete follow-up data were included. Sixty-eight (77.2%) patients received gastric bypass procedures, and the remaining 20 (22.8%) received restrictive procedures. We analyzed the available information during the initial evaluation of patients who were referred for bariatric surgery, by logistic regression analysis and data mining methods for predictors of successful diabetes remission after surgery. RESULTS Overall, 68 (77.2%) of the 88 patients had remission of their T2DM 1 year after surgery. Patients in the bypass group had a higher remission rate than those in the restrictive group [59/68 (86.7%) vs. 9/20 (45.0%), p=0.000]. In univariate analysis, patients who had T2DM remission after surgery were younger, heavier, had a wider waist, less severe disease, shorter duration, and higher C-peptide levels than those without remission. Type of operation and T2DM duration remained independent predictors of success after multivariate logistical regression analysis (p<0.000). Data mining analysis confirmed that T2DM duration was the most important predictor. CONCLUSIONS Bariatric surgery is a treatment option for T2DM. Duration of diabetes is the most predictor of success after surgery.