Early weight-loss outcomes following swallowable intragastric balloon therapy: A three-patient case series

Background

Swallowable intragastric balloon therapy is a minimally invasive treatment option for adults with obesity who seek clinically meaningful weight reduction without bariatric surgery. Real-world short-term outcomes may help characterize treatment response across different baseline body mass index (BMI) categories.

Methods / Case Presentation

We performed a descriptive case series of three adult women with obesity treated with a swallowable intragastric balloon and followed for 3 months. Baseline and 3-month body weight and BMI were recorded. Absolute weight loss and percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) were calculated for each patient.

Results / Findings

Mean age was 31 years. Mean baseline weight was 99.6 kg and mean baseline BMI was 40.2 kg/m². At 3 months, mean weight decreased to 79.0 kg and mean BMI to 31.9 kg/m², corresponding to a mean absolute weight loss of 20.7 kg and mean %TBWL of 20.9%. Patient 1 decreased from 109.2 to 87.2 kg (BMI 48.5 to 38.8; 20.1% TBWL). Patient 2 decreased from 80.4 to 62.4 kg (BMI 31.4 to 24.4; 22.4% TBWL). Patient 3 decreased from 109.3 to 87.3 kg (BMI 40.6 to 32.5; 20.1% TBWL).

Discussion & Conclusion

In this three-patient case series, swallowable intragastric balloon therapy was associated with substantial early weight loss at 3 months, with approximately 20%-22% TBWL despite marked variation in baseline BMI. The consistency of response across the three patients suggests that this approach may provide meaningful short-term weight reduction across different degrees of obesity. However, the small sample size, descriptive design, and short follow-up limit generalizability and do not establish long-term effectiveness. Larger prospective studies with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate durability of weight loss, safety, and predictors of treatment response.