ABSTRACT
Background:
In recent years, various novel surgical and non-surgical
therapeutic options have been developed for treating
obesity. Due to its disputed success, intragastric
botulinum toxin A (BTX-A)
injection is still being debated.
Objectives:
We aim to contribute to this controversial issue in the
literature by sharing our center's findings regarding intragastric BTX-A
injections in the
treatment of
obesity.
Design:
Patients with a
body mass index (BMI) of greater than 25 kg/m2 and at least one
obesity-related complication, or a BMI of greater than 30 kg/m2 without
complications, were eligible for the study if they were between the ages of 18 and 65.
Methods:
Following the same
procedure, two endoscopists administered BTX-A to all
patients. All
patients were evaluated for
obesity by measuring their
lipid profile,
hormone profile, and
insulin resistance level before
treatment.
Results:
In our study on 82
patients, we saw a significant mean
weight loss (-9.2 kg, p < 0.001) in the second month, and there was no additional mean
weight loss in the sixth month of follow-up. In addition, this result seems to be independent of the
patient's
insulin resistance. We did not see any serious side effects in any of the
patients.
Conclusion:
Although the use of intragastric
injection of BTX-A in the
treatment of
obesity is a controversial issue, we showed in our study that it causes significant
weight loss. Further studies are needed on this subject, as it can be a safe
method when the ideal
dose and application site are combined with appropriate
patient selection.
