Update on Endoscopic Treatments for Obesity

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Increased morbidity seen with rising obesity rates continues to place an unheralded burden on our health system. Lack of higher bariatric surgery utilization and limitations with lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy highlights the need for additional therapies for obesity. Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMT) are effective, safe treatments for obesity. Current FDA-approved EBMT are confined to gastric modalities while small bowel directed therapies are still considered investigational. This review highlights current modalities of EBMT.

RECENT FINDINGS

Many randomized controlled trials have been performed, including both open label and sham-controlled, which have demonstrated safety and efficacy of EBMT over lifestyle therapy alone. In addition, emerging evidence from clinical experience further supports EBMT for treatment of obesity. Current evidence supports the safety and efficacy of EBMT for obesity treatment in conjunction with lifestyle therapy. They can also be used concurrently with weight loss medications to increase total weight loss.

Role of short interval FLIP panometry in predicting long-term outcomes after per-oral endoscopic myotomy

BACKGROUND

The Eckardt score (ES) is used to assess symptom response to Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM), but reliable methods to assess physiologic success are needed. Functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) panometry has a potential role in post-POEM follow-up to predict long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between clinical success and FLIP parameters following POEM to determine if short interval FLIP could predict long-term outcomes.

METHODS

This was a prospective study of adult patients who underwent POEM with short interval follow-up FLIP between 11/2017 and 3/2020. Clinical success was defined as post-procedure ES ≤ 3. Physiologic success was based on an esophago-gastric junction distensibility index (EGJ-DI) > 2.8 mm2/mmHg on FLIP.

RESULTS

47 patients (55% female, mean age 55 years) were included in the study. Clinical success after POEM was seen in 45 (96%) patients (mean ES 6.5 ± 2.2 pre and 0.83 ± 1.0 post-POEM, p < 0.001). Physiologic success was noted in 43 (91.5%) patients (mean EGJ-DI 6.1 mm2/mmHg ± 2.5). Among 4 patients not meeting criteria for physiologic success, EGJ-DI was 2.5-2.6. There was no correlation between post-POEM EGJ-DI and ES in the short term or long term. Significant reflux esophagitis was seen in 6 (12.8%) patients with no difference in mean EGJ-DI with vs without esophagitis (5.9 vs 6.1, p = 0.44).

CONCLUSION

Post-POEM endoscopy with FLIP is useful to both assess EGJ physiology and to examine for reflux esophagitis. Short interval FLIP has limited utility to predict long-term patient outcomes or risk of acid reflux.