US FDA Warns of Deaths Tied To Gastric Balloons

The agency doesn’t yet know the exact causes of the five deaths. This is the second safety alert on the obesity-treatment devices this year.

Five patients have died suddenly after surgery to implant liquid-filled intragastic balloons to treat obesity, US FDA announced in an Aug. 10 safety alert.

Four of the deaths involved the Orbera Intragastric Balloon System, manufactured by Apollo Endosurgery Inc., while one involved the...

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