Is Gastric Balloon Implantation Still an Effective Procedure for the Management of Obesity and Associated Conditions? Findings from a Multi-Center Study.

Purpose: Both surgical and endoscopic procedures represent a mainstay of obesity treatment. Several procedures have been developed in recent years, although their impact on obesity is variable. This study examines and presents the results of a 6-month gastric balloon implantation (GBI).

Material and methods: The data from the German Bariatric Surgery Registry (GBSR) for the period from 2005 to 2021 were subjected to a multi-center analysis. Six months following GBI, demographic data, the peri-interventional course, weight, BMI reduction, as well as the development of comorbidities (arterial hypertension (aHTN), diabetes mellitus (T2D), reflux (GERD), and sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)), were evaluated in male and female patients.

Results: Of 3754 patients, 788 (45.3% male, 54.7% female) met the inclusion criteria for the study. Following 6 months of therapy, an average weight loss of 19.3 ± 15.2 kg was observed in male patients, while female patients exhibited an average weight loss of 16.3 ± 13.1 kg (p = 0.013). The EWL was found to be significantly higher in female patients than in male patients (24.8 vs. 18; p < 0.001). BMI reduction, %TWL, and mortality rate showed no significant disadvantage in either group (p > 5%). After 6 months of therapy, there was a significant advantage for women in the remission of aHTN. The remaining comorbidities did not differ significantly between the two groups (p > 5%).

Conclusions: GBI is an efficacious procedure for the treatment of obese patients with mild obesity and comorbidities or as a bridging procedure prior to planned bariatric surgery.