Experience of the First 100 OAGB in China: OAGB In Situ Technique

One anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is gradually accepted worldwide but still new in China.

Retrospective review of the patients who received OAGB in a new bariatric/metabolic surgical center in China and compared the data with a center of excellence in Taiwan. All in-patient and outpatient follow-up data were analyzed. The main outcome measures were (1) operation risk (2) weight loss (3) diabetes remission.

Between August 2019 and October 2021, 100 consecutive patients who received OAGB in situ in China and 225 patients who received OAGB with the same technique were recruited from Taiwan. Taiwan patients were older (39.2 ± 10.6 vs. 33.3 ± 8.8 years old, p < 0.001), and to have more diabetes (32.4% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.022) comparing to the patients of China. Operation time was significantly longer for Taiwan patients (172.4 ± 36.9 vs. 128.5 ± 29.8, p < 0.001). Taiwan patients lost more blood during the operation (35.5 ± 25.2 vs. 22.4 ± 15.6, p < 0.001) but patients in China need more time to postoperative flatus passage (1.3 ± 0.5 vs. 2.0 ± 0.5, p < 0.001). There was no major surgical complication in this study, minor complication rates were similar low for both groups (1.0% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.891). At 1 year after surgery, %TWL and %EWL of both centers were similar (33.9 ± 7.43% vs. 32.6 ± 11.2%, p = 0.91; 81.9 vs. 19.8 vs. 85.4 ± 13.2, p = 0.798). T2DM remission (HbA1c < 6.5%) was 100% for patients of China and 95.9% for patients of Taiwan (p = 0.836).

OAGB in situ is a safe and effective bariatric/metabolic surgery. With proper training and proctorship, these results are reproduceable in a new bariatric/metabolic surgical center in China.