Advances in endoscopic balloon therapy for weight loss and its limitations

The field of medical and surgical weight loss is undergoing an explosion of new techniques and devices. A lot of these are geared towards endoscopic approaches rather than the conventional and more invasive laparoscopic or open approach. One such recent advance is the introduction of intrgastric balloons. In this article, we discuss the recently Food and Drug Administration approved following balloons for weight loss: the Orbera™ Intragastric Balloon System (Apollo Endosurgery Inc, Austin, TX, United States), the ReShape^® Integrated Dual Balloon System (ReShape Medical, Inc., San Clemente, CA, United States), and the Obalon (Obalon^® Therapeutics, Inc.). The individual features of each of these balloons, the method of introduction and removal, and the expected weight loss and possible complications are discussed. This review of the various balloons highlights the innovation in the field of weight loss.

[Intragastric balloon: a review concerning alternative balloons compared to the classical ones (Bioenterics)]

Since de Tarpon Springs Consensus Conference in 1987, the Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon represents the standard model for obesity treatment with this technique. Nevertheless, over the last 30 years, especially for the last ten years, novel concept of balloons has appeared, as well as new alternative models, which are reviewed in this paper.

Effectiveness of repeated intragastric balloon therapy in a morbidly obese Japanese patient

A 19-year-old Japanese male with a BMI of 55.4 kg/m(2) who also had liver dysfunction, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia underwent repeated intragastric balloon therapy. The percent excess weight loss was 22.5% at the first balloon removal and 28.6% at the second balloon removal. The hepatic dysfunction resolved after the second balloon therapy, however, the dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia did not improve. The Japanese population is regarded as a high-risk race for obesity-related diseases at lower BMI values, and morbidly obese Japanese patients may need more serious weight reduction protocols to improve the comorbidities than similarly obese Americans or Europeans.