The rapid and durable remission of type II diabetes mellitis following the gastric bypass operation challenges the current concepts about the etiology of the disease. The surgery, which excludes food from the stomach, duodenum, and proximal jejunum, is quickly followed by a durable drop in glucose and insulin levels. As a result, 4 out of 5 diabetic, morbidly obese individuals who undergo the operation return to a long-term euglycemia with a prolongation of life and a reduction of health care costs.

The investigators at East Carolina University and those at Johnson and Johnson propose to further complete the profile of the upper gut by extending their observation to three additional human models. The investigators will study patients having the gastric band procedure, the gastric sleeve procedure, and those who have a gastric bypass but have a PEG tube inserted later.