Esophageal perforation during intragastric balloon therapy: management of a patient with late referral

Abstract

Minimally invasive treatment modalities like intragastric balloon therapy (IBT) gained popularity in the treatment of obesity [1]. Some morbidities have been reported in the literature, but it is limited. Esophageal perforation is the most feared complication of the procedure. Although endoscopic stent placement can be chosen as a treatment option in stable patients, most of the patients are treated with surgical drainage and primary repair [2]. We report an unusual case of intragastric balloon placement complicated with esophageal perforation which was successfully treated with a surgical approach after late referral.