Obesity is a complex metabolic illness that is interrelated to a plethora of complications that predispose to avoidable morbidity and mortality. The considerable impact of obesity has invited various therapies ranging from lifestyle advice, pharmacotherapy, endoscopic bariatric therapy and ultimately surgery. Intragastric balloons are space-occupying therapies that aim to increase satiety through mechanical and neuroendocrine mechanisms. Their prevalence is owed to their ease of administration and general safety. However, long term data concerning safety and efficacy is scarce when considering the various types of balloons in use. In this review, we discuss the intragastric balloon comprehensively in terms of efficacy, safety, limitations and future direction.
Objective: Renographies obtained within 1 h of renal transplantation were studied prospectively to evaluate their technical feasibility and potential clinical impact on successful treatment of immediate posttransplantation complications such as arterial or venous thrombosis, which require prompt diagnosis and management. Subjects and Methods: During December 1996 to December 1998, 127 renal transplants were performed. Ninety-four patients had complete renographic studies within 1 h of surgery. It was not possible to perform renography on 26 patients who were not sent to the Department of Nuclear Medicine within 1 h of transplant and 7 other patients who could not undergo a complete renogram because of their postoperative condition. Results: There was no complication attributed to transporting patients to the Department of Nuclear Medicine for these studies so soon after surgery. Of the 94 renographies obtained immediately following transplant surgery 46 were abnormal. However, when compared with the usual policy of obtaining baseline renograms between 12 and 72 h after surgery, treatment was changed for only 2 patients. Radionuclide renography within 1 h of transplant surgery was technically feasible. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study the clinical utility of obtaining renography within 1 h posttransplant was minimal and hence we recommended that it should not be performed routinely but could be used on an individual basis when imminent intervention is highly likely.
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