Omentectomy for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

September 10, 2009 updated by: Vanderbilt University

Omentectomy for Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

The purpose of this study is to determine whether laparoscopic removal of the omentum (thin layer of fat inside the abdomen) will significantly improve insulin resistance in patients with non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Clinical studies have shown that central obesity is one of the strongest associations with Type II diabetes. Measurement of waist circumference at Vanderbilt was one of the most effective clinical measures of presence of type II diabetes and response to gastric bypass in a recent study. This central obesity points to the omentum as one of the major culprits for development and perpetuation of type II diabetes in humans. [1]

Animal studies at Vanderbilt have shown in normal size dogs that surgical removal of the visceral fat (Omentectomy):

  • Decreases basal hepatic glucose production by nearly 40%
  • Results in decreased FFA delivery to the liver
  • Increases glucose utilization by peripheral insulin dependent tissues, predominantly skeletal muscle. [2] The animal studies were started to pursue the positive results seen by Swedish investigators who randomized 50 patients to either gastric banding or to gastric banding with omentectomy. At 2 years both groups had statistically similar weight loss but the patients in the omentectomy group had 2 to 3 times the improvements in oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and fasting plasma glucose as compared to control subjects. [3] They concluded that omentectomy, when combined with gastric banding in morbidly obese patients had a significant positive effects on the glucose and insulin metabolism.

Why does the removal of visceral fat (a very small percentage of the animal's weight) cause a 40% increase in peripheral glucose metabolism? The omentum is known to be a repository for macrophages and the increase in macrophage numbers is proportional to the increase in adiposity in humans. Both macrophages and adipocytes produce adipokines and cytokines that are known to influence glucose and insulin metabolism. The omentum is also known to be the major contributor of Free Fatty Acids into the portal circulation which adversely affects the hepatic insulin resistance.

Resection of the visceral fat which holds more numbers of the macrophages which in turn release the cytokines that preferentially disturb glucose metabolism should in theory then result in a marked improvement in glucose and fat metabolism.

Hypothesis Removal of visceral fat (omentectomy) will significantly improve type II Diabetes and dyslipidemia.

Specific Aim 1: Determine the improvement in glucose metabolism in patients with type II diabetes using Minimal model study at baseline and at 3 months post surgery Specific Aim 2: Determine the improvement in control of type II diabetes by measuring HgbA1c levels and the amount of oral medications taken to control their diabetes 3, 6 and 12 months post surgery.

Specific aim 3: Determine the improvement in lipids by measuring fasting serum total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and Triglycerides at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months post surgery.

Specific Aim 4: Determine the effect of omentectomy on markers of inflammation (C- reactive protein, interleukin 6) at 3, 6, and 12 months post op. These labs will be drawn but not assayed until we see the effects on insulin resistance.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

10

Phase

  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, Tennessee, United States, 37232
        • Vanderbilt University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 55 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 18-55
  • BMI 30-50
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Non-insulin dependent Type 2 diabetes Mellitus on oral hypoglycemics only

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Medicare patients
  • significant hepatic enzyme elevations (more than 50% of upper limits of normal)
  • serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dl
  • history of ketoacidosis or current metabolic acidosis
  • current use of oral anticoagulants
  • positive pregnancy test (β-human chorionic gonadotrophin) for females
  • intercurrent infections
  • taking drugs that are known to affect carbohydrate or lipid metabolism (e.g. steroids, high dose Niacin, β-adrenergic receptor agonists, but does not include anti-diabetic drugs)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: single arm
Removed omentum of patients with type 2 diabetes
patients with type 2 diabetes had their omentum removed
Other Names:
  • laparoscopic omentum removal

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Insulin sensitivity as measured by the minimal model and HOMA score
Time Frame: one year post procedure
one year post procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Improvement in dyslipidemia
Time Frame: One year post procedure
One year post procedure
Decreased use of oral hypoglycemics
Time Frame: One year post procedure
One year post procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: William O Richards, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2006

Primary Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2007

Study Completion (Actual)

March 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 22, 2005

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 22, 2005

First Posted (Estimate)

December 26, 2005

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 14, 2009

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 10, 2009

Last Verified

September 1, 2009

More Information

Terms related to this study

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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