The Efficacy, Tolerance, and Adverse Events of Endoscopic Intragastric Balloon in Obese and Overweight Patients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study evaluates how well intragastric balloons help overweight and obese patients lose weight, and finds they are effective but can cause nausea and abdominal pain.

Contribution

A retrospective analysis of intragastric balloon efficacy and safety in a clinical setting with real-world patient data.

Findings

Patients lost an average of 9.74 kg with a 10.48% total body weight loss after balloon removal.

Common side effects included nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, with no major complications reported.

13 out of 71 patients could not tolerate the balloon, and one experienced balloon rupture.

Abstract

Introduction

Obesity is a pandemic causing a significant burden on healthcare systems and carries increased morbidity and mortality. One of the options for managing obesity is endoscopic intragastric balloon (IGB) insertion. The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy, tolerance, and side effects of IGB insertion in overweight and obese patients.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional retrospective study that includes 71 patients who underwent IGB insertion from 2015 to 2019 at King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH), Kingdom of Bahrain. Records of these patients were accessed to assess the percentage of weight loss at the time of balloon removal, complications, and tolerance of the procedure. Furthermore, telephonic interviews were conducted to enquire about side effects and the satisfaction of the procedure.

Results

A total of 57 patients were included in the weight loss analysis. Thirteen patients did not tolerate the balloon, and one patient had a balloon rupture. The patients experienced a significant reduction in weight upon balloon removal with a mean of 9.74 ± 8.71 kg (p-value of <0.001) and percentage total body weight loss of 10.48 ± 8.07 (p-value of <0.001). A significant reduction was also seen in the body mass index of 3.67 ± 3.57 (p-value of <0.001). The most frequent side effects were nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. No major complications or mortalities occurred.

Conclusion

Intragastric balloons are effective in establishing weight loss. Among patients who tolerated the procedure, the most frequently reported side effects were nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

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