Changes in Food Preferences Before and After Intragastric Balloon Placement.

BACKGROUNDS: In recent years, numerous studies have tried to decode the way bariatric surgery works toward weight reduction by the use of food preference questionnaires. The intragastric balloon has gained popularity, mainly due to its limited invasiveness, in patients with obesity not fulfilling criteria for bariatric surgery. However, there is no study assessing the changes in food preferences [FP]. We decided to analyze the FP of individuals prior to intragastric balloon insertion and following its removal, on the strict condition that participants must complete the 6-month treatment period and attend at least 4 of the 7 follow-up interviews. METHODS: Patients were asked to rate the frequency of consumption of 63 food items before balloon insertion, at monthly intervals and after balloon removal. The food categories were protein, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, and sweets and fats. RESULTS: The questionnaires of 320 participants were analyzed. A reduced frequency in consumption of meat and meat products, high-fat, and high-carbohydrate/sugary products and an increase in raw vegetables and fruit was found in all individuals. CONCLUSION: The intragastric balloon seems to exert analogically similar mechanisms to bariatric surgery for weight loss, both functioning through alterations in FP. These are dictated by the anatomical re-configuration of the stomach, but mainly by counseling of dieticians and the self-education of the patient after experiencing unpleasant postprandial discomfort.

Mapping of Intragastric Balloon Use: a Guide to the Activity of Institutions Through Bibliometry.

BACKGROUND: Bibliometric analysis is an effective method for measuring scientific contributions in a variety of fields. It enables the numerical analysis of publications in a specific field and period of time, as well as the relationships between these publications. The present bibliometric analysis of publications relating to obesity treatment by means of intragastric balloons aimed to identify the bariatric centers using intragastric balloons, through the publications relating to their productivity; and furthermore, to reveal collaborations, types of balloons used, number of patients involved, and authors' productivity and favored journals. METHOD: The PubMed and Scopus databases were used to retrieve only original articles presenting the results in body weight reduction. RESULTS: Bibliographic research identified 164 publications for the period 2000-2021. Italy was ranked first with 37 publications; USA participated as collaborator with 9 different countries; the fluid-filled Orbera balloon is featured in 126 publications; the journal Obesity Surgery hosted 86 publications; Brazil reported the greatest number of patients with 5874 cases; Lorenzo M and Genco A, co-authors from Italy, authored 14 and 12 publications, respectively, and the most cited article was that of Genco et al. [2007] with 441 citations. CONCLUSIONS: Bibliometric analysis gave us the opportunity to identify the centers through their scientific publications and to classify them in relation to their productivity in articles, in collaborations, in number of cases reported, and in the number of citations gained.