Gastric outlet obstruction secondary to orbera intragastric balloon

Abstract

Intragastric balloons are used as a temporary restrictive method in obesity to induce weight loss. They are typically recommended when patients have mild obesity and have failed traditional first line treatments of diet, exercise and behaviour modification. We report a case of a 45-year-old female who presented with nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain two weeks following an uncomplicated insertion of an intragastric balloon. Following investigation, she was found to have a gastric outlet obstruction which required endoscopic removal of the balloon. While a rare occurrence, gastric outlet obstruction as seen in this case, highlights the importance of early recognition in order to proceed with swift diagnosis and intervention in order to prevent significant morbidity such as ischaemia and perforation.

Figure 1:

Abdominal computed tomography showing (A) an intragastric balloon within the gastric antrum (asterisk), with (B) a moderately distended fluid and gas filled gastric fundus and body (arrow).