Intragastric Balloon: a Retrospective Evaluation of 5874 Patients on Tolerance, Complications, and Efficacy in Different Degrees of Overweight

Background Endoscopic methods, especially the intragastric balloon (IGB), have been shown to be effective for the treatment of excess weight. This study aimed to assess the tolerance, complications, and efficacy of excess weight treatment with a non-adjustable IGB during 6 months. Methods A total of 5874 patients treated with a liquid-filled IGB (600–700 mL) and followed up by a multidisciplinary team were evaluated. Participants presented an initial body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m 2 and were stratified according to sex and degree of overweight (overweight and obesity grades I, II, and III). Results The incidence of complications was 7.32% ( n = 430): 6.10% ( n = 357) early IGB removal, 0.20% ( n = 12) gas production inside the balloon, 0.54% ( n = 32) leakage, 0.32% ( n = 19) pregnancy, 0.07% ( n = 4) gastric perforation, 0.05% ( n = 3) upper digestive bleeding, 0.01% ( n = 1) Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome due to excessive vomiting, and 0.02% each ( n = 1) pancreatitis and esophagus perforation. The 5444 remaining patients (4081 women, 38 ± 38 years) presented a weight loss of 19.13 ± 8.86 kg and a BMI decreased significantly ( p