Intragastric balloon insertion increases the frequency of erosive esophagitis in obese patients.

Background: The BioEnterics intragrastric balloon (BIB) has been successfully used for treatment with BMI >35 or BMI >40. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms are sometimes reported to occur and/or to worsen in patients with BIB, with a variable onset of erosive esophagitis (EE). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and the severity of esophagitis after BIB placement.

ASGE guidelines for the appropriate use of upper endoscopy: association with endoscopic findings.

Background: This prospective study examined the appropriate use of EGD in an open-access system with the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) guidelines and determined whether the ASGE guidelines were associated with relevant endoscopic findings.

Methods: In a cohort of 1777 consecutive patients referred for open-access EGD, the proportion of patients who underwent EGD for appropriate indications was prospectively assessed. The relationship between appropriateness and the presence of clinically relevant endoscopic diagnoses was assessed by calculating (1) the likelihood ratio, positive and negative, of the indications; and (2) the change in the probability of relevant endoscopic diagnoses in the presence of the ASGE criteria.