Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009;2 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):20-3.
doi: 10.1159/000198243. Epub 2009 Mar 18.

Preoperative weight reduction using the intragastric balloon

Stephan Göttig  1 , Rudolf A Weiner, Markos Daskalakis
Affiliations

Preoperative weight reduction using the intragastric balloon

Stephan Göttig et al. Obes Facts. 2009.

Abstract

Background: Gastric balloon therapy (GBT) is a temporary, nonsurgical treatment for obesity. This retrospective study evaluates safety and efficacy of GBT in obese patients.

Methods: The BioEnterics. Intragastric Balloon (BIB) was endoscopically implanted into each patient's stomach and inflated with saline (450-750 ml). Extraction was planned after 6 months. Data from 190 patients receiving GBT were evaluated. Mean weight was 168.4 +/- 58.9 kg (range 76.5-310.0) and mean BMI was 55.6 +/- 17.5 kg/m2 (range 27.0-95.7).

Results: Mean weight loss at the time of balloon removal was 21.2 +/- 14.0 kg (range 0-80.0). The mean BMI loss and EBL(Excess BMI Loss) were 7.2 +/- 4.9 kg/m2 (range 0-28.9) and 30.1 +/- 26.4% (0-184.4), respectively. The most substantial weight and BMI loss was observed in the most massively obese patients. Minor complications at implantation were encountered in 2 cases (1.1%) due to leakage of the balloon, and in 3 cases at explantation (1.6%). No mortality or major complications such as gastric perforation or ulcers occurred. Of the 190 patients, 76 received subsequent surgery (40.0%). Of those, 7 patients had a BMI < 50 kg/m2 while all other patients where super-obese (BMI > 50 kg/m2). 58 patients (30.5%) with a BMI > 60 kg/m2 which had an extraordinary high operation risk were able to receive subsequent surgical treatment because of a substantial weight loss and/or reduced comorbidity.

Conclusion: GBT appears to be a safe, tolerable, and potentially effective procedure for the initial treatment of morbid obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Presentation of the BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB). The balloon was filled with saline solution to a volume of 600 ml. The radiopaque, self-sealing valve (dark) can be seen on top. Note that the BIB is implanted deflated into the patient's stomach and filled subsequently.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentage of patients receiving subsequent surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Genco A, Bruni T, Doldi SB, Forestieri P, Marino M, Busetto L, Giardiello C, Angrisani L, Pecchioli L, Stornelli P, Puglisi F, Alkilani M, Nigri A, Di Lorenzo N, Furbetta F, Cascardo A, Cipriano M, Lorenzo M, Basso N. BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon: The Italian experience with 2,515 patients. Obes Surg. 2005;15:1161–1164. - PubMed
    1. Fernandes M, Atallah AN, Soares BG, Humberto S, Guimarães S, Matos D, Monteiro L, Richter B. Intragastric balloon for obesity. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;1:CD004931. www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab004931.html. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Martinez-Brocca MA, Belda O, Parejo J, Jimenez L, del Valle A, Pereira JL, Garcia-Pesquera F, Astorga R, Leal-Cerro A, Garcia-Luna PP. Intragastric balloon-induced satiety is not mediated by modification in fasting or postprandial plasma ghrelin levels in morbid obesity. Obes Surg. 2007;17:649–657. - PubMed
    1. Pasulka PS, Bistrian BR, Benotti PN, Blackburn GL. The risks of surgery in obese patients. Ann Intern Med. 1986;104:540–6. - PubMed
    1. Imaz I, Martínez-Cervell C, García-Alvarez EE, Sendra-Gutiérrez JM, González-Enríquez J, Safety and effectiveness of the intragastric balloon for obesity A meta-analysis. Obes Surg. 2008;18:841–846. - PubMed

MeSH terms