intragastric balloon, obesity, weight loss, safety, End-Ball®.

Introduction: Intragastric balloons (IGBs) have been successfully used to treat obesity for the last 18 years. Theseballoons are made of different materials and filled with either air or saline. It seems that balloons filled with salineresult in more effective weight loss, but are associated with worse tolerance after implantation. In contrast, balloonsfilled with air are associated with excellent tolerance, but result in less effective weight loss.Aim: To report the early safety and effectiveness results of the End-Ball® balloon and to encourage discussions onhow to best use this new-generation IGB for endoscopic weight loss management.Material and methods: Twenty obese patients (mean age: 40.5 years; mean body mass index: 34.8 kg/m2) were includedin a 6-month study. Balloons were inflated with 300 ml of saline containing 5 ml of methylene blue and 300 cm3 of air.Results: No serious adverse events occurred during treatment. Patients experienced varying degrees of nausea,vomiting (mean: 3.7 times the first day), and abdominal pain after implantation. Six months (23?29 weeks) afterEnd-Ball® balloon insertion, we observed a significant decrease in body weight (13.9 ?5.1 kg) and percent excessweight loss (37.9 ?12.9%). We also found a significant decrease in the levels of glycated hemoglobin (p < 0.001),C-peptide (p < 0.002), and triacylglycerols (p < 0.001) and an increase in the concentration of high-density lipoproteincholesterol (p < 0.025).Conclusions: The End-Ball® IGB is a safe and effective treatment for morbid obesity, with positive effects on weightloss and saccharide metabolism.