Clinical Practice Guidelines on Intragastric Balloons in Management of Obesity (AGA, 2021)

Guidelines on intragastric balloons (IGBs) in the management of obesity were published in April 2021 by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in Gastroenterology.^[1,2]

For obese patients (body mass index [BMI] >30 kg/m²) desiring weight loss but for whom conventional weight-loss strategies have failed, a combination of IGB placement and moderate- to high-intensity lifestyle modifications (to maintain and augment weight loss) may be more effective than lifestyle modifications alone.

Concomitant perioperative antiemetic therapy along with an intraoperative anesthetic that is unlikely to cause nausea are recommended during IGB placement, as well as postprocedure prophylactic administration of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. AGA suggests a scheduled antiemetic regimen for 2 weeks after IGB placement.

For individuals who undergo IGB therapy, AGA suggests against perioperative laboratory screening for nutritional deficiencies.

Following IGB placement, daily supplementation with 1-2 adult dose multivitamins is suggested.

Following IGB removal, subsequent weight-loss or maintenance strategies are suggested that include dietary interventions, pharmacotherapy, repeat IGB, or bariatric surgery. Use shared decision making to determine the selection of post-IGB weight-loss or maintenance methods based on a patient's individual clinical situation and comorbidities.

For more information, please go to Obesity.

Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Clinical Practice Guidelines on Intragastric Balloons in Management of Obesity (AGA, 2021) - Medscape - Apr 29, 2021.

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