New Stomach-Stitching procedure could help obese teens lose weight without surgery
NCT ID NCT06914765
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study is testing whether a procedure called endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is safe and helpful for weight loss in 10 obese adolescents aged 12-17. Instead of traditional weight-loss surgery, doctors use a device inserted through the mouth to stitch the stomach smaller. Participants will be monitored overnight and followed long-term to see if they lose weight and have fewer obesity-related health issues.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) procedure using the Apollo Endosurgery ESG System
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a less invasive weight-loss option for teens with obesity, potentially reducing obesity-related health problems.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply to all teens. The procedure carries risks like any medical intervention, and long-term effectiveness is unknown.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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12 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Female or male, age ≥ 12 years and ≤17 years at the time of study initiation (defined as the time of consent for participation in the pilot study). 2. BMI ≥95th percentile to 120% of the 95th percentile on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth curve with at least one obesity related comorbidity; OR BMI ≥ 120% of the 95th percentile on the CDC growth curve regardless of the presence or absence of comorbidities. Clinically significant obesity related comorbidities including type 2 diabetes mellitus, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) now called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), Blount's disease, Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE), sleep apnea defined as AHI ≥ 5, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), hypertension, or dyslipidemia. 3. Must have a documented history of weight management and weight loss attempts with supervised diets and exercise programs for at least 6 months from a Healthy Weight provider. 4. All female subjects must have a negative serum pregnancy test. 5. Has a signed note from a medically supervised weight loss program that the patient demonstrates commitment to nutrition, psychological, and physical activity evaluations and follow-ups in the Healthy Weight clinics, without frequent non-compliance or no-shows. 6. Demonstrates ability to understand what dietary and physical activity changes will be required for optimal postoperative outcomes based on psychology assessment. 7. Evidence for mature decision making, with appropriate understanding of potential risks and benefits of the procedure as deemed by a clinical psychologist. 8. No documented genetic cause for obesity or excessive weight gain such as Prader-Willi syndrome 9. Evidence that family and patient have the ability and motivation to comply with recommended treatments pre- and postoperatively. Evidence may include a history of reliable attendance at office visits for weight management and compliance with other medical needs. 10. Female participants must agree to avoid pregnancy for the duration of the study and acknowledge that they will be withdrawn from the study if they do become pregnant. 11. Patients agree to refrain from any type of additional weight loss surgery, reconstructive surgery, or weight-altering medications that would affect body weight. 12. Signed consent form from parent or guardian and signed assent for un-emancipated minors. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Previous interventional/surgical treatment of obesity or prior gastric surgery. 2. Females who are pregnant or lactating. 3. Uncontrolled hypothyroidism or adrenal related obesity as determined by the investigator. 4. Known congenital or acquired anomalies of the GI tract such as esophageal or cricopharyngeal narrowing or stricture; distorted esophagus, esophageal pouch or pyloric stenosis. 5. Severe cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and/or cardiopulmonary disease or other serious organic disease that makes the subject a high-risk candidate as determined by the investigator. 6. Chronic or acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding conditions, e.g. gastric or esophageal varices; or esophageal or gastric disorders including uncontrolled diarrhea, dysmotility, or Barrett's Esophagus. 7. History of malignant hyperthermia, having a prior allergic reaction to general anesthesia, having a known difficult airway, or if the patient is not a candidate for general anesthesia. 8. Immunocompromised status such as that resulting from chronic oral steroid use, chemotherapeutic agents, or immune deficiency disorders or history or presence of pre-existing autoimmune connective tissue disease, i.e., systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma as determined by the treating investigator. 9. Subjects with uncontrolled psychiatric conditions including eating disorders (e.g., bulimia, binge eating disorder) as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 10. Acute or chronic infections (localized or systemic); 11. Significant movement limitations of lower extremities (e.g., cannot walk without the use of, or assistance from, a brace, cane, crutch, another person, prosthetic device, wheelchair, or other assistive device or is severely limited in their ability to walk due to an arthritic, neurological, or orthopedic condition). 12. Recently (within previous 3 months) prescribed or initiated therapy with medication(s) known to cause significant weight gain or weight loss including but not limited to a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist, or is likely to require treatment with such medication(s) during the study. 13. Currently taking or has taken within the previous 3-months prescription or over-the-counter weight loss medications (e.g., medications and/or supplements containing ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, amphetamines, etc.). Additionally, the subject must agree to refrain from use of such medications and weight loss/appetite suppressing dietary supplements during the course of the trial including the subject eligibility assessment period; 14. Weight loss of at least 5kg within the previous 3 months; 15. Patient with documented medical history/diagnosis of a mood disorder including, but not limited to active substance abuse, a history of psychoses, uncontrolled depression, suicidal attempts or current suicidal tendencies or ideations; or documented history of drug and/or alcohol abuse within one year of the screening visit; 16. The participant is currently enrolled in another investigational drug or device trial that has not completed the primary endpoint or that clinically interferes with this study. 17. Current cigarette smokers, vaping, alcohol, or marijuana use. 18. Patients with connective tissue disorders 19. Subjects in whom endoscopic surveillance of the stomach may be required including but not limited to Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, personal or family history of familial and non-familial adenomatous syndromes, or Lynch syndrome; 20. Conditions that, in the opinion of the investigator, may jeopardize the subject's well-being and/or the soundness of this clinical study. At time of the ESG procedure, if the PI sees any evidence of the following: Hiatal hernia \>2 cm, esophageal or gastric varices, ulcers of the stomach and or duodenum, esophageal or duodenal stenosis, or gastric or duodenal polyps, or Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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