What is a stomach balloon?
The gastric balloon is a non-surgical and non-drug at the same time, used in the treatment of obesity.
Accompanied by a supervised diet, the gastric balloon procedure helps in achieving the health and beauty benefits associated with weight loss.
The gastric balloon system consists of a soft expandable balloon, placement tube and filling system. The surgeon inserts the balloon through the mouth and then expands it with sterile saline once it is placed in your stomach.
When full, the balloon will be too big to pass through your intestines, which will make you feel full with less food in your stomach.
Overall, gastric balloon treatment can significantly reduce your meal sizes and help you reach your long-term weight loss goals. Before considering operations surgical weight loss.
What types of gastric balloon are approved and available?
Currently, two gastric balloon devices have been approved for use in Turkey, and this represents a major advance in the management of minimally invasive obesity, and may significantly impact the lives of obese and overweight patients who qualify for these procedures.
balloon approved (Orbera ™) in the US in August 2015 is a saline-filled device (transoral endoscope) containing 500-750 ml (24-36 oz) of fluid.
It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use for up to six months.
The gastric balloon (Orbera) has been placed inside thousands of patients in Europe and other parts of the world.
Large clinical studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of this device, and it has demonstrated significant efficacy with rarely reported adverse events.
In some of the largest studies, involving up to 3,000 patients, it was an estimated weight loss of more than 30 pounds in six months — about 15% of body weight — or a decrease of about five points from BMI.
Although not well-studied, some studies have shown that the weight loss balloon has significantly improved conditions associated with obesity, including diabetes and cardiovascular health.
The gastric balloon also improved the patients' lipid levels and blood sugar levels (hemoglobin A1C).
Although the gastric balloon is temporary and is removed after six months, patients have experienced sustained weight loss six months after its removal.
This benefit also persisted in a small portion of patients who were followed for more than five years after balloon removal.

Gastric balloon benefits
Laparoscopic gastric balloons can be considered a middle ground between medication and surgery.
It provides the following advantages:
- no drugs
- no surgery (kCut the stomach or Gastric Bypass)
- Less expensive than surgical options
- Devices are temporary and procedures are reversible
- Available to patients who may not be eligible for weight loss surgery
If the operation is successful, you should be able to achieve long-term weight loss.
But this depends on your ability to maintain your new lifestyle.
And long-term weight loss should improve any obesity-related health problems you may have, such as:
- diabetes is
- High blood pressure
- Sleep and respiratory arrest
- Mobility
- Respect my self
However, for most people, what attracts the gastric balloon procedure is that it is minimally invasive, does not involve surgery and can be performed as a simple procedure, which means minimal disruption to daily life.
Gastric balloon damage
- Not losing enough weight
- Dizziness and abdominal pain
- Back ache
- gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Digestive problems
- Stomach or intestinal obstruction
- general inflammation
- pancreatitis
- Anesthesia related side effects
Is a gastric balloon suitable for me?
If your BMI score is higher than 32, a gastric balloon may help you achieve long-term weight loss and manage other medical conditions such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
The gastric balloon procedure may be especially useful for people who are too overweight to undergo vital surgery.
The use of the balloon can help with successful weight loss before surgery and also reduce the risks associated with surgical procedures for patients who are overweight.
Your consultant will confirm your BMI score and perform a detailed evaluation, before deciding if the gastric balloon is right for you.
Are there alternatives to stomach balloons?
The simple way to lose weight involves eating less, improving your diet, and exercising more.
Sometimes the medications your GP prescribes can help.
There are also other surgical options for gastric balloons, such as gastrointestinal shortening, which is calledSleeve Gastrectomy or Gastric Bypass or pancreatic biliary diversion.
All of these are major surgical procedures that usually require a hospital stay.
However, the balloon has fewer complications with fixation and there is less risk of serious complications.
Recovery with more invasive procedures is usually slower.
What does the stomach balloon process for slimming include?
Gastric balloon installation
Your surgeon will first perform an initial examination of your stomach using an endoscopic camera. If no abnormalities are observed, your surgeon will place the balloon through your mouth and down your esophagus into your stomach.
The balloon is made of a flexible, flexible silicone material and is inserted in its smallest form and deflated through the mouth.
With the development of science, the process of swallowing became easier with the help of throat spray that numbs the throat area and also uses medicines to help relax the muscles.
Once the balloon is in your stomach, it is immediately filled with sterile saline through a small filling tube (catheter) attached to the balloon.
Once filled, the surgeon will remove the catheter by gently pulling on the outer tip.
The balloon has a self-sealing valve, at which point the balloon will float freely in your stomach.
This procedure usually takes 20 to 30 minutes, after which you will be monitored by a weight-loss surgeon for a short time and then go home.
For more information about the gastric balloon, you can watch the video below.
There is a new type of gastric balloon called gastric balloon capsule. It is simply swallowed and when it reaches the top of your stomach it is inflated with gas through a thin tube attached to the balloon.
The gastric balloon capsule does not require anesthesia.
But it also needs to be removed after six months.

How long does the stomach balloon stay in place?
The balloon may remain in place for up to six months, and over time, the acid content of the stomach will weaken the balloon material and cause the balloon to deflate so it is not recommended to use it for longer periods than that.
If the surgeon recommends using the balloon for a period of more than six months, it is necessary to replace the balloon with a new one when the six months period is completed.
While the balloon is in place, your surgeon may prescribe a course of oral medications to reduce stomach acid (this reduces the possibility of stomach irritation and damage to the balloon).
Gastric balloon removal
As with the balloon placement method, the surgeon will insert a catheter through your mouth into your stomach and will then puncture and deflate the balloon. Once the balloon is deflated, it can be grasped and removed.

As forGastric balloon complications The general guidelines for any minimally invasive procedure may include the following:
- pain
- light bleeding
- Vomiting and nausea.
Specific complications of a gastric balloon may include:
- Feeling of imbalance like seasickness
- Stomach discomfort, nausea and vomiting are common for the first few days after the balloon is placed
- Feeling of heaviness in your stomach
- Abdominal or back pain
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease or indigestion may also occur
- There is a theoretical (and rare) risk that the balloon will rupture.
In this case, it usually passes through the intestines and is expelled naturally.
When will I recover from the gastric balloon operation?
You should usually be able to go home the same day, assuming you haven't had any serious adverse reaction to the balloon.
In the first few weeks After the balloon is installed from the stomach You will be able to eat only liquids, and switch to soft food and then solid food.
You should be able to go back to work after 1-2 days depending on how your stomach adjusts to the presence of a foreign object.
Sometimes the balloon causes nausea but this usually subsides within a day or two.
Aftercare and recovery
You can go home on the same day of the gastric balloon procedure and continue with your normal daily activities without any interruption.
After the gastric balloon is inserted, you'll only take fluids for a few days. You'll then move on to soft foods and then solid foods of a normal consistency.
Your weight loss surgeon or dietitian will discuss the changes in diet and exercise you need to make to reach and maintain your weight loss goals.
. It is important that you adhere to strictly following these recommendations.
After removing the balloon from the stomach Your stomach will return to its original size.
It is important to continue with your newly learned diet and lifestyle for gastric balloon to maintain weight loss.
You will need to attend regular follow-up appointments including diet tips.
Reasons for the failure of the gastric balloon
The most important reason forGastric Balloon Failure It is the failure to adhere to the doctor's recommendations regarding food.
Increased food intake after the balloon was removed from the stomach as a response from the patient.