Gastric balloons a fatally flawed idea that should have been popped

Don't ever be talked into swallowing this weight-loss idea

Is this FDA-approved weight-loss scheme the most dangerous way to drop some pounds there is?

Despite the fact that the “gastric balloon” concept was found to be deadly decades ago, several types of this balloon-in-the-stomach idea have been cleared for takeoff in the U.S.

Now, however, we’ve just learned from the FDA about five people who recently died shortly after these inflatables devices were placed inside of them.

But instead of putting the brakes on this crazy idea immediately, you can expect the agency will simply be puttering about, waiting to learn more. It says we’ll hear from them again as soon as “new information becomes available.”

And that may turn out to be a perfect example of too little, too late — especially for someone who just wanted to lose a little weight, not realizing they could be putting their life on the line in the process.

An ‘expedition’ to be avoided
As of now, the FDA has approved three types of gastric balloons — two of which, the Orbera and the ReShape, were used in the patients who died.

The devices are pushed down your throat into your belly and then inflated with a saline solution, where they’re supposed to bounce around for four to six months. The idea, of course, is that with this obstruction sitting in your stomach, you’ll eat less.

But problems with these devices are nothing new. This past February, the FDA sent out a “Dear Doctor” letter warning that both Orbera and ReShape can spontaneously over-inflate, resulting in “intense abdominal pain,” swelling of the abdomen, difficulty breathing, and vomiting.

Doctors were also warned that the balloons can seriously injure the pancreas, causing acute pancreatitis.

Now we’re hearing that these five “unanticipated deaths” may have been caused by gastric and esophageal perforation or an intestinal obstruction. And three of those people died just a few days after the balloons were inserted.

Yikes!

But when a large group of doctors who specialize in inserting gastric balloons say on their website that the procedure can be compared to “expeditions into the unknown,” that should make anyone pause before rushing into it.

Actually, this particular expedition was originally started back in 1985, and it was almost a disaster from the get-go. The device used back then, called the Garren-Edwards Gastric Bubble, could collapse inside of you and cause life-threatening intestinal blockages. At least one patient died from it during its first year on the market.

And the experiences of people who have the new versions of these things wiggling around inside of them tells us that it’s still a really bad idea!

Users of a support group forum report nausea, vomiting, “horrible” acid reflux, pain, and stomach swelling. But the possibilities are actually even more horrific.

The ReShape balloon contains a drug called methylene blue, which is released into your system if the device ruptures (and yes, that can happen). The company that makes ReShape admits that “the consequences” of “acute” exposure to the drug should that occur “are not known.”

You’d know about that risk if you were allowed to read the label on the thing — but most patients probably never get to see what’s being put inside of them before it ends up there.

And for the icing on the cake, the FDA is considering letting another one of these ridiculously risky balloons on the market, one that you swallow like a pill and then your doctor inflates in your stomach.

Look, even if you come through this procedure unscathed, any of the pounds you’ve lost by eating like a bird while it’s in your belly will come right back if you don’t follow a careful eating and exercise plan.

So, for all the time and money (the procedure isn’t covered by most insurance and will cost you around $8,000) and risks involved, why not go directly to a healthier diet?

That way, you can save the balloons for more festive occasions!

“FDA investigating deaths of patients who had gastric balloon procedure for obesity” Melissa Healy, August 12, 2017, The Los Angeles Times, latimes.com