An Overview Of Gastric Balloon Surgery For Weight Loss
Have you ever had trouble losing weight naturally and considered a bariatric procedure, but “under the knife” scares you? Then the gastric balloon procedure may be the right choice for you. These non-surgical short-term procedures are golden worldwide for decades.
Unlike other bariatric procedures, the gastric balloon concept is simple and therefore, easy to understand for everyone. A soft silicone balloon is inserted into the stomach by an endoscope; hence there are no incisions. As a result of the procedure, the balloon gives the patient a feeling that the stomach is always half full, preventing overeating.
As noted above, balloons are a short-term solution, meaning they are removed endoscopically after 6 or 12 months. The gastric balloon is also entirely reversible and does not change the gastric anatomy, making it a very safe procedure.
Here you can dive deeper into the gastric balloon here provided by Dr VenuGopal Pareek.
What is a gastric balloon?
A gastric balloon surgery is a weight loss procedure where a saline filled silicone balloon is inserted into your stomach to limit the amount of food you can eat. The goal is to make you feel full faster, which reduces the amount of food you eat with each meal. Your doctor may recommend a gastric balloon if other natural weight loss options don’t help. This weight-loss procedure may also be recommended if the patient’s body mass index (BMI) is not high enough to qualify for bariatric surgery.
Is a gastric balloon right for me?
If your BMI is over 40 (abnormal obesity), surgery can help you achieve long-term weight loss. Surgery can also help if you have a BMI above 35 (very overweight) and have other medical problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties, or heart disease.
The gastric balloon can last up to 9 months. Because of this, a gastric balloon can be
used to help with weight loss, to prepare for weight loss surgery, or to have surgery that you refused until you have lost enough weight to reduce the risk of serious complications.
What are the benefits of a gastric balloon?
- The most elegant factor is that you don’t have to choose invasive surgery.
- There are no risks associated with gastric balloon surgery.
- The cost of bariatric balloon surgery is not as high as other weight-loss surgeries.
- You will not get cuts, and balloons are also temporary, which helps significantly to lose weight.
- There is about 20 to 30% weight loss with this procedure, depending on the patient and their circumstances.
Procedure
Inserting a gastric balloon into the patient’s stomach usually takes 20 minutes to an hour. Your doctor may offer a sedative to help you relax. The doctor will insert a flexible telescope (endoscope) down your throat. The doctor asks you to swallow while the endoscope is in your throat. This will help the endoscope to move through your oesophagus and stomach quickly.
Your doctor may be able to look for problems such as inflammation or ulcers. If they don’t see a problem, they use an endoscope; an endoscope is a long, thin, and flexible tube with a camera and light at the end. This allows the doctor to get to the stomach through the mouth and throat. After the balloon is securely placed next to the stomach, it is filled with a saline (saltwater) solution. Because the filled balloon is too large to be transported to another part of the digestive system, it will float freely in the stomach.
How do gastric balloons work?
A gastric balloon is inserted into the stomach through a small tube that is inserted into the throat. The doctor will also place an endoscope to view the balloon in the stomach. The salt solution is then pumped into the balloon to fill it. The gastric balloon remains in the patient for up to six months. This is a temporary procedure mostly offered for those who want to lose weight quickly without surgery.
After the procedure, patients can start their everyday activities with a modified diet. The recovery time is minimal. The patient is expected to experience mild abdominal discomfort in a short period, which will go away relatively quickly.
Once filled, the balloon takes up space in the stomach, preventing the patient from overeating in one session. Also, the patient feels full for most of the day.
Post-procedure care
- You should be able to go home the same day or the day after tomorrow.
- You may only be able to drink fluids for a few weeks, switching to soft foods and solid foods after 1 to 2 weeks.
- You should be able to get back to work in 1 to 2 days, depending on how fast your stomach settles and how you work.
- Regular exercise will help you get back to normal activities as soon as possible, so you should be able to start exercising again after a week. Seek advice from your medical team or personal doctor before beginning the exercise.
- On average, people with a gastric balloon lose more than a third of their excess body weight (the difference between their preoperative weight and healthy weight).
Results of gastric balloon
- The gastric balloon is a very safe and effective way to help you lead to a healthier body and life.
- As with other bariatric procedures, having a gastric balloon in your stomach doesn’t guarantee significant weight loss – it’s just an aid to getting there. The responsibility of carrying the burden of your dreams rests on your shoulders.
- To be successful, you first have to find a great program with great people – doctors, nutritionists, fitness professionals, and psychotherapists are essential to guide you on your weight loss journey. Also, a proper nutrition and lifestyle program is the foundation for success.
- The most popular balloon program lasts 12 months, with six months of infused balloon therapy. After half a year, the balloon is removed, and some people may say that a more challenging part began – the patient no longer has the balloon in the stomach, which prevents overeating or making unhealthy choices.
- Over the next six months, patients will work closely with nutritionists, psychotherapists, doctors and fitness specialists to enhance their lifestyle transformation. Continuing with your newfound lifestyle will allow you to maintain a lighter weight and continue to lose weight after the bladder is removed.
- A gastric balloon helps to lose about 7-15% of your total body weight in the first six months after placing the balloon. Total weight loss varies between 30 and 47% and is highly dependent on adherence to a diet and exercise plan.
- If their lifestyle doesn’t change after removing the balloon, they tend to gain weight again. The amount of weight loss depends solely on your new lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and frequent follow-up visits, and how to follow the schedule from doctors, dietitians, and others, made for you.
- If you want or need, you can reinsert the balloon. However, it is recommended that you wait at least a month or two before considering this option. It’s also important to remember that gastric balloons are not meant for long-term use – think bariatric surgery for this.
Conclusion:
Gastric balloons cause optimal weight loss and are not that effective in the long term. Patients usually lose about 18 kg after six months. The gastric balloon is useful for obese people who need to lose weight before starting surgery. They are also suitable for people who do not wish to undergo invasive surgery. In general, a gastric balloon is one of the solutions to obesity but is the best solution when other options are ineffective or unavailable; for more information and the best obesity treatment, contact Dr Venugopal Pareek 091777 77715.
