Endoscopic Argon Plasma Coagulation Vs. Control For Weight Regain After Gastric Surgery

Bariatric surgery procedures have consistently been demonstrated to reduce long-term co-morbidities and mortality. Despite its benefits, weight regain is common, usually initiating around two years after the initial procedure, the underlying mechanism often being an enlargement of the anastomosis diameter for the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Although a reduction in the anastomosis diameter has been reported in association with endoscopic argon plasma coagulation, to our knowledge this therapy has not been formally tested in a randomized controlled trial. the objective of this study is to conduct a randomized, parallel controlled trial comparing endoscopic argon plasma coagulation to reduce the enlargement of the anastomosis diameter for the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus control with an initial diagnostic endoscopic followed by observation. The investigators hypothesize that the argon coagulation arm will achieve greater weight reduction, with a low incidence of adverse events.