Published in Device, the study builds on the team’s previously reported flower-inspired gastric stent by redesigning the device from the inside out. Rather than changing its overall shape, the researchers engineered its internal architecture to make it more flexible, resistant to kinking and better at draining fluid while introducing a biodegradable material that safely breaks down after treatment.

Although gastric leaks occur in only a small percentage of bariatric surgeries, they can lead to infection, prolonged hospitalization and repeated medical interventions. Current drainage stents were originally designed for use in bile ducts rather than the stomach and must be removed once healing is complete, adding another procedure for patients.