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Mechanistic and Clinical Outcomes of a Surgical Innovation Aimed at Minimizing GERD Associated With VSG (INNOVATE-VSG)

Mechanistic and Clinical Outcomes of a Surgical Innovation Aimed at Minimizing GERD Associated With Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (INNOVATE-VSG)

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06783751
Acronym
INNOVATE-VSG
Enrollment
44
Registered
2025-01-20
Start date
2025-03-21
Completion date
2028-07-01
Last updated
2026-07-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bariatric Surgery, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Obesity, Sleeve Gastrectomy

Brief summary

This is a two-site randomized clinical trial aiming to test whether a modified investigational bariatric surgical procedure can improve gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) after sleeve gastrectomy.

Detailed description

The study will examine whether a modified vertical sleeve gastrectomy (mVSG) will improve GERD and quality of life. Aim 1 (Primary): to determine whether mVSG, in comparison to conventional vertical sleeve gastrectomy (cVSG), will be associated with lower acid exposure time (AET, measured by the Bravo pH test) at 6-9 months. The investigators hypothesize that, at Month 6-9, compared to cVSG: • H1. mVSG will be associated with lower AET Aim 2 (Secondary): To elucidate the mechanistic basis for Aim 1, the investigators will perform following tests, before and at 6-9 months post-surgery: a) High resolution esophageal manometry (HREM) to determine the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and intragastric pressure; b) The endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) testing to examine changes in compliance of the LES; c) Measure the length of the gastroesophageal flap valve (GEFV) on the retroflex view during endoscopic exam. The investigators hypothesize that, at Month 6-9, compared to cVSG: * H2a. mVSG will be associated with higher LES pressure and lower intragastric pressure * H2b. mVSG will be associated with lower LES compliance * H2c. GEFV will be present after mVSG (vs absence after cVSG) Aim 3: Examine the impact of GERD on quality of life (QoL) with two validated rating scales - Gastroesophageal reflux disease-health related quality of life (GERD-HRQL) and Short Form-36 (SF-36). The investigators hypothesize that, at 12 months, compared to cVSG: • H3. mVSG will lead to superior QoL

Interventions

PROCEDUREModified Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (mVSG)

The modified procedure preserves the gastric sling fibers and re-establishes the gastroesophageal flap valve (GEFV).

PROCEDUREConventional Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (cVSG)

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy as standard procedure

Sponsors

University of California, Irvine
Lead SponsorOTHER
University of California, San Diego
CollaboratorOTHER
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Male and female subjects aged 18-65 years 2. Body mass index (BMI) 35-55 kg/m2 3. Must meet the BMI criteria before and after 6 months of nonsurgical weight management 4. Presence of GERD defined for this trial as acid exposure time (AET) of 4.9% or above as assessed with the Bravo pH test. 5. Have health insurance which pays for the costs of bariatric surgery and standard medical care before and after surgery 6. Women of childbearing potential must be using appropriate contraception to avoid pregnancy throughout the study, and must have a negative pregnancy test at study entry and prior to surgery 7. Must be able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

1. Hiatal hernia \>2cm (defined as maximum axial height from end of the esophagus to diaphragm by any study including upper endoscopy esophagram and or at the time of surgery) 2. Evidence of clinically significant major esophageal motility disorder as determined by the site primary investigator 3. Severe gastroparesis 4. Previous bariatric or anti-reflux procedure 5. Barrett's esophagus 6. Subjects requiring mesh treatment at time of procedure 7. Severe heart (e.g., severe heart failure, unstable coronary artery disease), or end-stage lung disease as determined by the site primary investigator 8. Subjects with pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, neurostimulators 9. Portal hypertension or cirrhosis 10. Chronic pancreatitis 11. Active cancer treatment 12. Inability to tolerate general anesthesia 13. Uncontrollable coagulopathy 14. Significant and uncontrolled inflammatory bowel disease 15. Severe and/or uncontrolled psychiatric disorder (including psychosis, bipolar disorder) as determined during standard pre-surgery psychiatric screening at the site. 16. Suicidal ideation or unstable/untreated major depressive disorder within the past year 17. Alcohol or substance use disorder within the past year. 18. Pregnant or breastfeeding or planning pregnancy in the coming 24 months 19. Diminished intellectual capacity to consent or follow pre- and post-surgery instructions 20. History of, or any current health condition that, in the opinion of the PI, would make the subject ineligible for sleeve gastrectomy, or put the subject at risk by participation in the study.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
% Acid Exposure Time (%AET)Pre-surgery, Month 6-9 post surgeryChange in %AET in percentage points at Month 6-9 relative to pre-surgery %AET assessed with the Bravo pH test

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
LES pressurePre-surgery, Month 6-9 post surgeryChange in LES pressure in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) assessed with High Resolution Esophageal Manometry (HREM)
Intragastric pressurePre-surgery, Month 6-9 post surgeryChange in intragastric pressure in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) assessed with HREM
LES compliancePre-surgery, Month 6-9 post surgeryChange in LES compliance in ratio of mm3/mmHg assessed with EndoFLIP
GEFV lengthPre-surgery, Month 6-9 post surgeryChange in GEFV length in millimeters (mm) assessed with endoscopic exam

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTNinh T. Nguyen, MD
ninhn@hs.uci.edu714 456 8598
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORNinh T. Nguyen, MD

University of California, Irvine

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORRavinder K. Mittal, MD

University of California, San Diego

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 15, 2026