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Gastric Balloon
Gastric balloon placement is a weight-loss procedure that involves placing a silicone balloon in the stomach. The method works by making you feel full sooner so that you eat less.
Advantages
The advantage of gastric balloon placement compared to other procedures is the preservation of the anatomy of the stomach. When the gastric baloon is fully inflated, gastric emptying is delayed.
Who is a good candidate for a gastric balloon?
• Patients who can not lose weight with methods such as diet or exercise
• Patients with one or more health problems related to obesity (such as hypertension or diabetes)
• Patients who are overweight even for obesity surgeries and who need gastric balloon placement to reduce the risks before the surgery
In which situations is the gastric balloon not suitable?
Besides its simplicity of application, there are some situations that prevent the placement of gastric balloon. These include gastric ulcers, gastritis, previous gastric and esophageal surgery, giant hiatal hernia, cardiopulmonary diseases and bleeding disorders that make endoscopy risky.
The procedure
Materials used for gastric balloon vary from silicone polymers to gelatin capsules. After applying anesthesia to the patient, the deflated balloon is placed in the stomach by endoscopy and then inflated. The balloon is inflated with liquid or air. The duration of the balloon placed in the stomach varies according to the type chosen, but usually it stays for six months. When the gastric balloon expires, it is deflated and removed by endoscopy.
What are the side effects of gastric balloon?
The most common side effects are abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. It should be mentioned that especially in the first few days after baloonn placement, if there is excessive vomiting, this may hint the fact that the balloon can not be tolerated and needs to be removed. Although gastric balloon placement is applied to patients who have not been on the surgical margin in recent years, it can be applied before the surgery in order to lose weight quickly prior to having surgery.
Weight loss process after gastric balloon
After gastric balloon placement, the highest weight loss occurs in the first three months. After the balloon is removed at the end of the 6th month, the most important factor for the patient to maintain the weight is developing and maintaining healthy eating habits and lifestyle. For this reason, continuing this process under nutritionist and psychologist control helps to get the maximum benefit. Otherwise, it would be possible to gain weight quickly.
