what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

In a North American first, doctors in Montreal on Wednesday placed air-filled balloons in the stomachs of two obese patients to help them shed weight.
The device, the size of a softball, floats in the stomach and makes patients feel full soon after eating. What's unique is that it doesn't require surgery.
Patients are sedated, and a doctor inserts the device into the stomach through a tube in the mouth. Once in place, the triple- layered silicone balloon is inflated. The procedure takes no longer than 15 minutes.
Six to eight months later, the patient returns to have the balloon deflated and removed. Studies have shown that patients lose up to 30 kilograms solely because of the balloon....

how did it rate? (more information)

what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

This article describes yet another variant to the available approachs to manage morbid obesity. While the use of stomach balloons to give the sense of fullness is not novel, the device uses air instead of saline, and gastric placement is somewhat different. The authors provide some sense of available surgical/intra-gastric device alternatives and their shortcomings, although quantitative information is lacking. No mention of the relative/complementary role of pharmaceuticals and psychological therapy is given. Potential complications with the newer gastric balloon is provided, but details are sparse. Some relative cost information is provided for gastric bypass surgery and this procedure for placement of this device. Health Canada approval, but lack of provincial coverage is noted. The lack of follow up studies is described . Patient testimonials and mortality statistics once again are relied upon for impact. Overall, a somewhat imbalanced story about an invasive procedure for short-term management of morbid obesity.

public forum

voice your opinion in the forum

• All comments and feedback submitted to Media Doctor are subject to editorial approval before being made viewable by the public. It may take up to a week for your comments to be approved. Additionally, no response will be given to questions posed in public comments. Media Doctor does not provide medical advice, or answers to medical questions posed by the public.
• If you provide your email address it will not be displayed to the general public.
• Comments may be edited by Media Doctor to remove defamatory or sensitive statements, and brand names.
• Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).