EndoBarrier in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Study

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common condition in which the upper airways (windpipe) collapse repeatedly during sleep, blocking the flow of air into the lungs. It is characterized by repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep, despite the effort to breathe, and is associated with a reduction in the amount of oxygen in the blood (oxygen saturation). People with OSA are at risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, and premature death. OSA is usually treated using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This involves the patient wearing a face mask during sleep which is connected to the machine which supplies a constant steam of air to help keep the airways open. This improves the symptoms and hopefully the long-term outlook, but it is an uncomfortable solution. OSA is associated with obesity and weight loss can improve or even cure it. Treatment with EndoBarrier (placement of a thin flexible tube that is placed inside your intestine creating a physical barrier between the intestinal wall and the food so less can be absorbed) can be associated with significant weight loss and can improve blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes related to their weight (diabesity). This study aims to find out if EndoBarrier treatment can improve OSA in patients with diabesity to the extent that some patients no longer require their CPAP machine treatment.

Once the participant has decided to take part in the study, they will be invited for signing a consent form and screening checks which will include medical history, examination, blood tests (approximately 10 ml) and sleep studies (at home without CPAP) on two occasions within one week to determine whether they are eligible for the study. If they fulfil all the criteria and once recruited into the study, they will be assessed for placement of EndoBarrier by gastroenterologists (tummy doctors) followed by its insertion in City Hospital as a day case procedure. There may be individual or group information sessions including the use of models and videos to describe insertion and removal of EndoBarrier devices. Potential participants will be offered the opportunity to ask questions. There will be trial assessment visits for every 3 months until one year after the insertion of EndoBarrier and then for every 3 months up to one year following its removal. During these visits, participants are assessed clinically and have blood tests (approximately 10 ml taken in a fasted state), sleep studies and quality of life questionnaires. EndoBarrier will be removed after 1 year, again, as a day case procedure.