Intragastric Balloon Placement as an Effort for Weight Reduction in Morbid Obesity Cases

Abstract

In The background: The term "morbid obesity" refers to cases of obesity with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m² accompanied by health conditions related to obesity. Intragastric balloon placement is a non-surgical endoscopic bariatric therapy for obesity. We present a case of morbid obesity that underwent intragastric balloon placement.

Case report: A 36-year-old woman experienced continuous weight gain over the past 10 years. Various attempts to lose weight had been made, but none were successful. She reported worsening heartburn over the last 3 months, which did not improve with medication. The BMI was calculated at 35.6 kg/m². Gastroscopy revealed mucosal hyperemia in the distal one-third of the esophagus, concluding that the patient had esophagitis. An intragastric balloon was placed via endoscopy, and the patient followed a special diet after the procedure. One month after placement, a weight loss of 9 kg was observed, and her heartburn complaints had significantly improved.

Conclusion: We report a case of morbid obesity that improved following intragastric balloon placement. This non-surgical endoscopic bariatric procedure is the first of its kind performed in Surabaya.