People fighting obesity often look for treatments that will quickly help them lose weight. Lately, an increasing number are achieving that goal by having intragastric balloons placed in their stomachs to reduce their appetite. But, can they maintain their weight loss over the long term?

Dr. Bruno Sander and his colleagues studied intragastric balloon procedures and found that patients began regaining substantial weight just a couple of years after treatment. In a recent blog on The Doctor Weighs In, Dr. Sander discusses how his team determined that a well-rounded supportive approach is needed to complement intragastric balloon procedures and achieve lasting weight management.

Dr. Sander presented data from the study “Long-term effect of intragastric gastric balloon in the management of obesity,” abstract 550, on Monday, May 8, at 8:45 a.m. CT, at McCormick Place in Chicago.