Management of obesity with the new intragastric balloon

The introduction of an endoscopically-placed Bariatric Intragastric Balloon (BIB) provided the opportunity to reexamine weight reduction methods and also study potential weight loss without resorting to surgical intervention. 10 severely obese patients with mean age 33 years and mean body mass index 39, underwent BIB placement, 7 as a sole weight reduction procedure and 3 requiring weight reduction before repair of large incisional hernias. All patients were followed at 2-week intervals by a nurse practitioner and dietitian for 6 months. Mean weight loss was 18.6 kg (range 6.6-40.0), equivalent to 40% excess weight loss (EWL), range 10-81%. EWL was 54% (29-81%) in those patients who had two balloons placed, who lost an average of 30.3 kg (24.0-40.0 kg). In the patients who had only one balloon placed, mean weight loss was 10.4 kg (8.8-12.5), equal to an EWL of 19% (10-37%). These results lead us to consider BIB placement as a successful short-term measure for weight loss or for patients requiring at least weight loss before other surgery.