Intragastric balloons are designed to help people lose weight by taking up space in the stomach. The idea is to make a person feel full quickly and therefore eat less. Yet reports of 12 related deaths make this controversial surgery one to avoid. If you want to lose weight, simply focus on smart food choices, exercising regularly, and taking Phentermine 37.5mg. Learn more about this study below:
12 Deaths Since 2016
According to a recent report by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the gastric balloon-related death toll is now 12. This is the number of people who have died due to complications from the weight loss surgery since 2016. Gastric perforations, or holes in the stomach walls, preceded four of the deaths according to the FDA.
“The FDA has approved new labeling for these two devices in order to adequately inform doctors and patients about the adverse events,” spokeswoman Deborah Kotz said. “We have been working with the companies that manufacture these liquid-filled intragastric balloons to better understand the complications associated with these devices.”
The fifth most recent death is still under investigation by Apollo Endosurgery. The company noted that as of March of this year that their rate of “spontaneous hyperinflation” of gastric balloon devices was 0.07% while the gastric perforation rate was 0.01%.
“Today’s US labeling updates will even better inform physicians and patients alike so that patient care and outcomes with Orbera continue to be excellent and ever improving,” CEO Todd Newton said.
Surgeons Still Say The Risk Is “Not Large”
“While these reports are alarming, they have to be kept in proportion with the total number of balloons placed,” said Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of obesity surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. “As with any foreign body placed in the [gastrointestinal] tract, balloons have risk,” adding that the risk is “not large.”
Gastric balloons is one of numerous weight loss surgeries available. Since surgery is always a risk, it is better to use it as a last resort instead of a weight loss tool.
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