Role of intragastric balloon in cardiac surgery: an adjunct to preoperative optimization for morbid obesity.

Obesity is associated with a high risk of developing intraoperative and postoperative complications in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Morbid obesity is a relatively common cause for delay in surgery, whereas the patients are optimized to a near normal body mass index. We evaluate the role of intragastric balloon in this group of patients. We present the case of a 68-year-old man who had successful treatment of his obesity prior to undergoing a successful triple bypass using an intragastric balloon. We draw the conclusion that intragastric balloon is a simple, safe procedure for preoperative optimization in patients with morbid obesity prior to cardiac surgery.