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Initial Japanese Experience with Intragastric Balloon Placement

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Abstract

Background

We introduced intragastric balloon placement in Japan and evaluated the initial data.

Methods

Between December 2004 and March 2008, intragastric balloons [BioEnterics® Intragastric Balloon (BIB®) system] were placed in 21 Japanese patients with obesity [six women, 15 men; mean age 40 ± 9 years; mean body mass index (BMI) 40 ± 9 kg/m2]. The inclusion criteria were morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2), the presence of obesity-related disorders, and failure with conventional treatments for at least 6 months. The balloon was routinely removed under endoscopy after 5 months.

Results

No serious complications occurred, but in two of the 21 patients (9.5%), early removal (within 1 week) of the balloon was required due to continuous abdominal discomfort. Two other patients (9.5%) could not control their eating behavior and were considered unresponsive to the treatment, and their balloons were also removed before 5 months. Seventeen of the 21 patients (81%) finished the treatment, and the average weight loss and percent excess weight loss (%EWL) at the time the balloons were removed were 12 ± 5 kg and 27 ± 9%, respectively. Eight patients were followed for 1 year without intervention of consecutive bariatric surgery, and at that time, four of these patients had kept more than 20% of %EWL. The other patients regained their weight in the first year.

Conclusions

Intragastric balloon placement is a safe and effective procedure in obese Japanese patients, and about half of the patients will maintain their weight loss after the balloon is removed.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Kazuyo Adachi and Yukiko Ishibashi for prescription and supervision of diet and Ms. Miho Sato and Midori Kono for patient management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery I, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama-machi, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan

    Masayuki Ohta, Seigo Kitano, Seiichiro Kai, Akio Shiromizu, Hidetoshi Eguchi & Yuichi Endo

  2. Department of Internal Medicine 1, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan

    Takayuki Masaki, Tetsuya Kakuma & Hironobu Yoshimatsu

Authors
  1. Masayuki Ohta
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  2. Seigo Kitano
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  3. Seiichiro Kai
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  4. Akio Shiromizu
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  5. Hidetoshi Eguchi
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  6. Yuichi Endo
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  7. Takayuki Masaki
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  8. Tetsuya Kakuma
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  9. Hironobu Yoshimatsu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Masayuki Ohta.

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Ohta, M., Kitano, S., Kai, S. et al. Initial Japanese Experience with Intragastric Balloon Placement. OBES SURG 19, 791–795 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-008-9612-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-008-9612-x

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