500 Intragastric Balloons: What Happens 5 Years Thereafter?

• Published in: Obesity surgery Vol. 22; no. 6; pp. 896 - 903
• Main Authors: Kotzampassi, Katerina, Grosomanidis, Vasilis, Papakostas, Pyrros, Penna, Sofia, Eleftheriadis, Efthymios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.06.2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Clinical Research; Device Removal - methods; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gastric Balloon - statistics & numerical data; Greece - epidemiology; Health Behavior; Humans; Long term; Male; Medical equipment; Medical procedures; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid - epidemiology; Obesity, Morbid - rehabilitation; Obesity, Morbid - surgery; Patient Compliance; Prospective Studies; Surgery; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Weight control; Young Adult; Greece; Obesity; Excess weight loss; Morbid obesity; Weight loss; Intragastric balloon; Follow-up
• ISSN: 0960-8923; 1708-0428; 1708-0428
• DOI: 10.1007/s11695-012-0607-2

Background The BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB) has been considered an effective, less invasive method for weight loss, as it provides a permanent sensation of satiety. However, various non-randomized studies suggest BIB is a temporary anti-obesity treatment, which induces only a short-term weight loss. The purpose of this study was to present data of 500 obese who, after BIB-induced weight reduction, were followed up for up to 5 years. Methods The BioEnterics BIB was used, and remained for 6 months. At 6, 12, and 24 months post-removal (and yearly thereafter), all subjects were contacted for follow-up. Results From 500 patients enrolled, 26 were excluded (treatment protocol interruption); 474 thus remained, having initial body weight of 126.16 ± 28.32 kg, BMI of 43.73 ± 8.39 kg/m 2 , and excess weight (EW) of 61.35 ± 25.41. At time of removal, 79 (17%) were excluded as having percent excessive weight loss (EWL) of <20%; the remaining 395 had weight loss of 23.91 ± 9.08 kg (18.73%), BMI reduction of 8.34 ± 3.14 kg/m 2 (18.82%), and percent EWL of 42.34 ± 19.07. At 6 and 12 months, 387 (98%) and 352 (89%) presented with weight loss of 24.14 ± 8.93 and 16.31 ± 7.41 kg, BMI reduction of 8.41 ± 3.10 and 5.67 ± 2.55 kg/m 2 , and percent EWL of 42.73 ± 18.87 and 27.71 ± 13.40, respectively. At 12 and 24 months, 187 (53%) and 96 (27%) of 352 continued to have percent EWL of >20. Finally, 195 of 474 who completed the 60-month follow-up presented weight loss of 7.26 ± 5.41 kg, BMI reduction of 2.53 ± 1.85 kg/m 2 , and percent EWL of 12.97 ± 8.54. At this time, 46 (23%) retained the percent EWL at >20. In general, those who lost 80% of the total weight lost during the first 3 months of treatment succeeded in maintaining a percent EWL of >20 long term after BIB removal: more precisely, this cutoff point was achieved in 83% at the time of removal and in 53%, 27%, and 23% at 12-, 24-, and 60-month follow-up. Conclusion BIB seems to be effective for significant weight loss and maintenance for a long period thereafter, under the absolute prerequisite of patient compliance and behavior change from the very early stages of treatment.