Use of intragastric balloons for weight reduction. An experimental study.

The effect of intragastric balloons as a noninvasive method for weight reduction was observed in nine castrated Yorkshire pigs. None of the animals lost weight. The appetites of the experimental animals were inhibited for only a short period of time. A significant dilatation of the stomach after balloon insertion was noted which resulted from increased food intake and obliterated the effect of the intragastric balloons. A long-standing lower blood glucose level played an important role in the increments in food intake and dilatation of the stomach. At the same time, ulceration was seen in 83.3 percent of the animals that received balloons. We conclude that intragastric balloon therapy may not be an effective approach for managing morbid obesity in human subjects.