Mechanical intestinal obstruction caused by displacement of a stomach balloon - Case report

Abstract

Methods of treating obesity in selected cases include endoscopically performed procedures, among them endoscopically placed intragastric balloons. It is a method associated with a low complication rate, traditionally reserved to treat the most obese patients. Balloon rupture or deflation and its migration into the small bowel is one of the possible complications. In some cases, the balloon moves through the digestive tract without side effects. When the balloon's displacement in the intestine is impossible, gastrointestinal obstruction occurs. We report a case of a patient with a mechanical obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract caused by asymptomatic balloon rupture and its migration into the jejunum.