Can You Believe It? How to Deal with an Intragastric Balloon Migration in the Pleural Cavity.

This article discusses two rare cases of air-filled balloon migration in the pleural cavity due to iatrogenic esophago-gastric laceration during insertion. The patients, both with obesity, experienced acute chest pain and respiratory failure after intragastric balloon placement. They underwent damage control surgery with a two-stage surgical strategy, including laparoscopy-assisted trans-hiatal endoscopic removal of the balloon and resection of the esophago-gastric junction. The postoperative course was uneventful, and both patients were in good clinical condition at follow-up. The article emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in managing such challenging scenarios. [Extracted from the article]