PhD defence by Marie-Louise Dichman

Sleeve Gastrectomy: Efficacy, Gastric Emptying, and Ghrelin's Effects on Appetite and Glucometabolic Regulation

Assessment Committee:
Professor Caroline Michaela Kistorp, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Esben Vestergaard, Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus / Aarhus University
Professor Torsten Olbers, Linköping University

Supervisors:
Clinical Research Associate Professor Carsten Moro Dirksen
Clinical Professor Sten Madsbad
Clinical Associate Professor Maria Saur Svane

Department:
Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme:
Basic Metabolic Research

Place:
Center E, Hvidovre Hospital, Room: Auditorie 3+4, Kettegård allé 36, 2650 Hvidovre

Email address to gain access to the thesis: mldichman@gmail.com 
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.

Short description of the thesis:
Sleeve gastrectomy is one of the most widely used treatments for severe obesity, yet many of its biological effects remain poorly understood. This PhD project explores how the surgery improves appetite regulation and blood sugar control, with a particular focus on the hunger hormone ghrelin. By combining clinical studies with systematic evidence reviews, the work examines how surgical, medical, and lifestyle based obesity treatments compare, and why sleeve gastrectomy leads to rapid metabolic improvements. The thesis also evaluates a simpler method for assessing gastric emptying, an important physiological change after surgery. Together, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how bariatric surgery works and how future treatments may be optimized.