A gastric balloon offers a non-surgical, reversible weight loss solution. It helps you develop new eating habits and improves obesity-related health problems like diabetes.
It involves a simple procedure under sedation or light anesthesia. Once inserted, your doctor will place you on a clear liquid diet while your stomach adapts to the intragastric balloon.
Minimizing Food Intake
The gastric balloon helps reduce the amount of food one can consume. It is a viable choice for persons with a BMI over 30 who wish to reduce their weight and treat obesity-related diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and dyslipidemia (high blood fat levels), all of which are exacerbated by obesity.
When an inflated balloon takes up space in your stomach, you must take very small sips of liquid at a time. This can help you avoid nausea and discomfort. Taking slow, small sips also ensures you drink enough fluids to stay hydrated.
Following your treatment, you will consume just liquids for the first week before switching to soft meals. While adjusting to these new eating patterns, some persons may suffer nausea or acid reflux; however, this usually passes as the stomach adjusts.
You can see a dramatic decrease in your weight, and the average person who undergoes this treatment loses over a third of their excess weight. This is more than most can achieve with diet and exercise alone. In addition, many patients also find relief from weight-related ailments, including sleep apnea and high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia.
Boosting Metabolism
The gastric balloon helps patients lose weight by boosting their metabolism. During the first six months with the balloon in place, patients experience drastic results, losing, on average, 10% of their body weight. This is much more than the average weight loss achieved through diet and exercise alone and is a great way to achieve life-changing results quickly.
During the non-surgical outpatient procedure, the intragastric balloon is placed through a thin tube called an endoscope that goes down your throat to your stomach.
You will follow a liquid diet for several weeks following your insertion before switching to a soft food diet. Your bariatric team will stay in regular touch with you throughout this time to help you cope with any physical or emotional side effects that may arise while the stomach changes. They will also assist you in creating long-lasting, healthy eating habits.
Boosting Energy Levels
By helping to fill up space in your stomach, the gastric balloon lowers the amount of food you can eat. As a result, it will be simpler for you to maintain a low-calorie diet since you will feel fuller more quickly after meals. Additionally, you’ll discover that eating fewer meals will increase your vitality. You may obtain enough energy from a tiny dish of high-protein yogurt or a handful of almonds, for example, to get through the day.
Under a light sedative, the minimally invasive treatment may be finished in less than 15 minutes. It also provides non-surgical reversible weight loss that can aid in the creation of new, long-lasting healthy eating patterns. Finally, it can treat fat-related diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes.
During the procedure, your doctor will use an endoscope to examine your esophagus, stomach, and intestines to ensure nothing that would make a gastric balloon unsafe. Once they are satisfied, your doctor will insert the Orbera or Spatz adjustable balloon into your stomach. It will stay in place for about six months.
Boosting Self-Esteem
Many overweight people struggle with maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen. The gastric balloon, also known as the Orbera or small, helps them lose weight and improve obesity-related health conditions without invasive surgery.
The ball is placed in the stomach through an endoscopic procedure. During the procedure, tubes with a camera are inserted through the mouth to the stomach, and the balloon is inflated with varying amounts of saline solution. It takes up space in the stomach, resulting in a feeling of fullness and inhibiting overeating. The ball can stay in place for up to 6 months and is removed through the same endoscopic tubes used to insert it.
After the procedure, patients are placed on a liquid diet for a week, then progress to a soft food diet and then to a regular diet as tolerated. Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly is important, focusing on drinking plenty of water after each meal to prevent belching and heartburn.
Boosting Self-Confidence
Unlike surgical procedures like gastric bypass, the gastric balloon is minimally invasive. It’s especially useful for people who have struggled with weight loss and don’t want to plunge into a more invasive bariatric procedure.
The gastric balloon is filled with a saline solution and takes up space in the stomach, leaving less room for food and liquids. This trains your stomach and body to feel full with smaller portions of food, helping you lose weight while learning a new lifestyle.
You can slowly introduce soft foods once your gastrointestinal system gets used to the balloon. You can return to normal eating within two weeks of the procedure.
Your team will work with you closely on a diet plan while the balloon is in place and for six months afterward to reinforce long-term lifestyle changes. Patients, on average, lose 10 percent of their excess weight while the balloon is in place. Use our bariatric surgeon finder to locate a program near you. They will be able to tell you more about cost and financing options.