Weight loss with or without intragastric balloon causes divergent effects on ghrelin cell expression.

Objective: The mechanism of action of intragastric balloons in the treatment of obesity is not fully understood. One of the hypotheses is that balloons might have an effect on the fundus, the area of ghrelin production.

Methods: Participants were randomized to a 13-week period of sham or balloon treatment followed by a 13-week period of balloon therapy in everyone.

Split-dose bowel cleansing with picosulphate is safe and better tolerated than 2-l polyethylene glycol solution.

Background: In physically less fit patients and patients requiring repeated exams, adequate bowel preparation for colonoscopy remains problematic, particularly because patients need to drink large volumes of unpleasant-tasting fluids. A further concern is potential unwarranted fluid shifts.

Aims: This study aimed to compare the safety and burden of a small-volume sodium picosulphate/magnesium citrate preparation (SPS-MC) with a 2-l ascorbic-acid-enriched polyethylene glycol solution plus bisacodyl pretreatment (PEG-Asc+B).

Efficacy and Safety of Sodium Picosulfate/Magnesium Citrate for Bowel Preparation in a Physically Disabled Outpatient Population: A Randomized, Endoscopist-Blinded Comparison With Ascorbic Acid-Enriched Polyethylene Glycol Solution Plus Bisacodyl (The PICO-MOVI Study).

Background: Because of its volume, adequate bowel preparation remains problematic in physically unfit patients.

Objective: This study aimed to compare a small-volume sodium picosulfate/magnesium citrate preparation with a 2-L ascorbic acid-enriched polyethylene glycol solution plus bisacodyl.

Design: This study has a noninferiority design, assuming that ascorbic acid-enriched polyethylene glycol solution plus bisacodyl is 70% efficacious in achieving an Ottawa score ≤7 and accepting a difference in success rate of <15% with a target enrollment of 146 patients per group.

Is Endoscopy Really Necessary for Placing Intragastric Balloons?

Background: Gastric balloons for weight loss have historically been placed after a screening endoscopy. However, the utility and yield of these endoscopies has not been studied. Therefore, we wanted to evaluate the utility of screening endoscopy and to assess patients who had balloons placed without endoscopy.