Effectiveness and Safety of Intragastric Balloon as a Bridge to Bariatric Surgery in Superobese Patients

Aims Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease, and super obese patients are particularly challenging to treat. The best treatment strategy remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intragastric balloon (IGB) placement as a bridging therapy to bariatric surgery.

Methods This retrospective unicentric study included females with a body mass index (BMI)>45 kg/m² and males with BMI>50 kg/m². The primary outcomes were total weight loss (%TWL), excess weight loss (%EWL), and adverse events.

Results Fifty-eight patients (44 females, 14 males) underwent IGB placement followed by bariatric surgery (41 Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, 15 sleeve gastrectomy, 2 single anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy [SADI-S]). The average age was 41.9±13.7 years, with an initial BMI of 56.1±6.3 for females and 55.2±6.6 for males. IGB treatment lasted an average of 184.2±36.1 days. Severe adverse events occurred in 6.9% of patients, requiring early removal due to intractable vomiting. The average weight loss with IGB was 26.0±1.3 kg. At 12 months post-IGB and surgery, the%TWL was 41.4%±8.5 and%EWL was 73.8±15.3%. There were no statistically significant differences in%TWL between the types of surgery (p=0.767).

Conclusions IGB as a bridge to bariatric surgery within a multidisciplinary care model demonstrated significant weight reduction and favorable safety outcomes for superobese patients. A structured approach incorporating IGB and surgical intervention can effectively manage severe obesity.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

Authors do not have any conflict of interest to disclose.

Publication History

Article published online:
27 March 2025