Study design and ethical approval
This prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted in an accredited bariatric center of a tertiary hospital in China between 01/11/2021 and 13/05/2022. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee (No. 2020-SR-059, 11/03/2020) and registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100052418, 25/10/2021). All participants signed an informed consent form before enrollment in the study. This study is reported in line with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines.