FDA Releases Warning about the Dangers of Intragastric Balloons

A new medical weight loss procedure has been quite the rage. What if I told you that this procedure has led to 12 deaths since its startup. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent out warnings to health care providers this week, warning about the liquid-filled intragastric balloon systems used to treat obesity. Since the first death in 2016, this treatment has seen more deaths develop over the past two years. What is this new treatment that those looking to lose weight should avoid? Find out today as we take a look at the risk of liquid-filled Intragastric Balloons.

Intragastric Balloons

Liquid-filled Intragastric Balloons is a weight-loss system developed to treat obesity. The balloons, which function by taking up space in a patient’s stomach, reduce the feeling of emptiness while eating, causing you to feel full faster. Originally approved in 2015, many intragastric systems were produced primarily by ReShape Medical Inc and Apollo Endo-Surgery. The gastric system along with diet and exercise has positive results, but at what cost? Since its introduction, there have been 12 reports of death worldwide after using the gastric balloons. With seven of the gastric systems deaths occurring in the United States, the FDA hopes their newsletter will help inform consumers of potential risk.

Statement Release from FDA

The FDA statement found here, gives a brief background of the issue and how healthcare providers should handle it. FDA also would like all providers to walk through potentially life-threatening complications from the operation like balloon deflation, gastrointestinal obstruction, ulceration, and gastric and esophageal perforation. The FDA also would like to monitor those who end up going through with the procedure to avoid complications and side effects. Both head manufacturers in these devices have responded with statements of willingness to work on avoiding these accidents from happening. If you are looking for different options from the balloon bypass, you can always visit https://gastric.care/qualify/ to reach a healthy weight without surgery!

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