HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 36-year-old female patient was admitted for abdominal pain and recurrent vomiting since five days. One year before this episode, a gastric balloon had been implanted. Physical examination revealed tenderness in the left and right lower abdomen. INVESTIGATIONS: Abdominal ultrasound showed marked impairment of intestinal motility and plain abdominal x-ray revealed signs of small intestine ileus. On abdominal and pelvic computed tomography the gastric balloon was dislocated to the terminal ileum. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: Dislocation of the gastric balloon resulted in occlusion of the ileum and consequently in mechanical small intestine ileus. After an unsuccessful endoscopic attempt, the balloon was removed during laparatomy. After an initially protracted postinterventional course with impairment of gastrointestinal motility, gradual return to solid food was without any difficulty in the following course. CONCLUSION: Due to the pandemic increase of the obesity incidence and, therefore, also of the number of obesity surgical interventions, their potential deleterious effects should be included in the differential diagnoses of unclear abdominal pain.
HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 36-year-old female patient was admitted for abdominal pain and recurrent vomiting since five days. One year before this episode, a gastric balloon had been implanted. Physical examination revealed tenderness in the left and right lower abdomen. INVESTIGATIONS: Abdominal ultrasound showed marked impairment of intestinal motility and plain abdominal x-ray revealed signs of small intestine ileus. On abdominal and pelvic computed tomography the gastric balloon was dislocated to the terminal ileum. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: Dislocation of the gastric balloon resulted in occlusion of the ileum and consequently in mechanical small intestine ileus. After an unsuccessful endoscopic attempt, the balloon was removed during laparatomy. After an initially protracted postinterventional course with impairment of gastrointestinal motility, gradual return to solid food was without any difficulty in the following course. CONCLUSION: Due to the pandemic increase of the obesity incidence and, therefore, also of the number of obesity surgical interventions, their potential deleterious effects should be included in the differential diagnoses of unclear abdominal pain.