Intragastric Silicone Water Filled Balloon Is Safe and Efective to Reduce Weight in Pre-Obese Patients

GUSTAVO L CARVALHO, MD PhD, FLÁVIO A JÚNIOR, MD, CARLOS E MORAES, MD, JOSE S SILVA, STUDENT, DIEGO L LIMA, STUDENT, EDUARDO C CHAVES, STUDENT, REBECA G ROCHA, STUDENT, ADRIANO C SALES, STUDENT, CAMILA S CRUZ, STUDENT. UNIPECLIN, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Pernambuco; Recife; Brazil

BACKGROUND: Many clinical treatments have been attempted for weight reduction in overweight patients, body mass index (BMI) below 30, most commonly medically treated with Orlistat®, Sibutramine® and more recently with Rimonabant®, all presenting gastrointestinal, circulatory, metabolic or psychological side effects which are sometimes severe. Recent Silicone intragastric balloons (SIB) clinical trials have used overweight patients as part of their population, proving the safe usage of SIBs in non obese patients. So far, a study reporting the treatment with SIB only in overweight non obese patients is not yet published.

OBJECTIVE: To present the SIB treatment results in overweight patients.

METHOD: From June 2006 to August 2010, 1002 patients were submitted to the treatment with the Silimed® Gastric Balloon, in two different centers. Of those, 44 were selected for this study for presenting BMI < 30.

RESULTS: All balloons were placed and retrieved by office endoscopy, safely and effectively in all the cases. General anesthesia was not needed. All patients left the outpatient clinic in less than 1 hour. The patients mean age was 35 (16-67) years-old, initial weights and BMI were 75.6±9.9 (58.0-100.2) kg and 28.34 ±1.6 (22.8-29.9) kg /m². For the 24 patients who had completed the 6-month treatment, the results in weight loss and final BMI were 9.68 ±4.2 (19.7-0.4) kg and 24.65±1.7 (21.9-27.8) kg /m². Five patients (11.36%) had episodes of severe vomiting and opted to stop the treatment. One patient (2.3%) had insufficient weight loss. 79.5% of the patients complained of nausea in the first days of treatment. One balloon spontaneously deflated during the treatment and was removed uneventfully by office endoscopy.

CONCLUSION: Intragastric silicone water filled balloon is a safe and effective alternative to the medical treatment of weight control in non obese patients with appropriate indication of use.

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