Intragastric balloons for preoperative weight reduction.
BACKGROUND
If medical treatment of obesity fails and if surgical gastroplasty is not indicated, insertion of an intragastric balloon may represent an intermediate modality.


METHODS
Two patients are reported in whom a balloon was placed for weight reduction before elective surgery: 1) A 53-year-old woman with a BMI of 41.3 kg/m2 lost 18 kg in 6 months and then underwent surgical repair of a huge incisional hernia; 2) A 58-year-old woman with a BMI of 35.8 kg/m2 had total hip arthroplasty after losing 15.5 kg in 5 months.


RESULTS
The uneventful postoperative recovery in both patients was thought to be positively influenced by their preoperative weight loss.


CONCLUSIONS
In morbidly obese patients, intragastric balloon placement may contribute to preoperative weight reduction before elective surgery.
De Waele
B
B
Department of Surgery, VUB University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
Reynaert
H
H
Urbain
D
D
Willems
G
G
D005260:Female; D015905:Gastric Balloon; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D015431:Weight Loss