Impact of preoperative weight loss achieved by gastric balloon on peri- and postoperative outcomes of bariatric surgery in super-obese patients: a retrospective matched-pair analysis.

A multi-stage therapeutic approach with gastric balloon prior to bariatric surgery in super-obese patients may be effective to facilitate safe surgery. However, with the gastric balloon, pre-treated patients experienced an attenuated postoperative weight loss with an earlier nadir and earlier body weight regain. This should be considered when choosing the appropriate therapeutic regime and managing patients' expectations.