Intragastric Balloon in Ethnic Obese Chinese: Initial Experience

Background: We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of intragastric balloon (IGB) for the treatment of obesity in ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong. Methods: 15 Chinese patients (10 females; median age 40 years (range 21-58)) completed IGB treatment over a 10-month period since November 2004. Median baseline body weight (BW) and BMI were 100.1 (range 78.5-170.3) kg and 39.4 (range 29.6-56.9) kg/m² respectively. Coexistent obesity-related morbidities were present in 80% of patients. The Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB^?) was employed, and all placement and removal were performed endoscopically under intravenous conscious sedation. A restricted balanced diet (∼1200 kcal/day) and 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity exercise were prescribed after balloon placement in a multidisciplinary approach. Outcome measures were collected and assessed in a prospective manner. Results: Median procedure time was 25 (range 19-45) minutes and median hospital stay was 2 (range 1-6) days. Median BW and BMI loss were 15.3 (range 5.3-30.9) kg and 5.6 (range 1.9-12.5) kg/m² after IGB. The median waist circumference (WC) loss was 9 (range 4-23) cm, and 66.7% of patients were highly satisfied with the treatment. No serious complication related to IGB was observed. Conclusion: IGB is a safe and effective device that achieves moderate weight loss in obese ethnic Chinese patients.