Health
13:30, 13-Aug-2017
Five dead after obesity treatment approved by US government
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Five people in the US have died after receiving obesity treatment called "silicone balloon" method, which was approved by the country's government.
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put on an alert on its website to warn people of the potential risks in the method it approved before.
US FDA's statement about the risks /FDA Screenshot
US FDA's statement about the risks /FDA Screenshot
The method is identified by FDA as "liquid-filled intragastric balloon systems," which basically involves putting a grapefruit-sized silicone balloon in your belly to make you feel full and eat less.
It may sound a bit frightening, but the fact can be even worse.
All the five deaths happened in the recent year, within a month after the implementation of the balloons, according to an FDA safety notice.
Exact reasons for the deaths are not currently clear.
Overblown
The FDA has actually realized something in February when it wrote a letter to health-care providers describing risks related to this method.
One of the most significant ones is over-inflation, meaning the balloon becomes too big for your stomach. Patients may experience abdominal pain, difficulty in breathing and vomiting.
The silicone balloon used to treat obesity, produced by medical device company Apollo Endosurgery /Apollo Endosurgery Screenshot
The silicone balloon used to treat obesity, produced by medical device company Apollo Endosurgery /Apollo Endosurgery Screenshot
It's imaginable that over-inflation of a silicone balloon in our body can cause death. The agency, however, said it has yet to determine whether the devices directly caused the deaths.
"At this time, we do not know the root cause or incidence per rate of patient death," the FDA said.
FDA didn't forbid health-care providers to continue using the method for now, but required them to "closely monitor patients treated with these devices."