What is a gastric balloon?
Well, it really is how you are probably imagining it. The gastric balloon is a balloon that is placed inside the stomach. The balloon is placed into the stomach using a flexible endoscope and then is inflated to fill up the middle part of the stomach, and is typically left in place for 6-12 months.
The balloon is designed to work in a similar way to a gastric band, in that it is designed to slow you down when you eat and suppress your appetite so you can stop eating after a smaller amount of food than you would normally be able to consume. After all, the balloon is now taking up a significant part of your stomach.
How does a gastric balloon help me to lose weight?
The balloon itself doesn’t cause weight loss, but as it suppresses your appetite and the amount of food that you can eat, you generally expect to consume fewer calories, which then results in weight loss.
By eating not only less frequently but also smaller portions, the balloon can help you to ‘retrain’ your eating habits. We wish patients to re-learn correct portion sizes and to avoid eating when it is unnecessary. This is very important to remember in the long term, as the gastric balloon is only a temporary solution, so there is a lot of retraining involved to ensure that this method of weight loss is sustainable. Of the patients who undergo this treatment, about 25% will maintain their weight loss once the gastric balloon has been removed.
Advantages of the gastric balloon? Although all surgery carries risk, the intragastric balloon is an endoscopic procedure, so not a surgical procedure but still requires an anaesthetic and a short admission into hospital. It has a very low risk of long-term complications and you can expect to see a rapid initial weight loss (for most patients).
Disadvantages of the gastric balloon? You’re probably wondering why if it is so simple more people don’t choose this as an option. It’s likely because the average weight loss using this method is 10-20kg less than can be achieved through surgery, and also because the risk of weight gain after the balloon has been removed is high (unless significant lifestyle changes can be made and maintained). Between 2-5% of people also cannot tolerate the balloon and have to have it removed before it can have any useful effect, and nausea is often common for the first few days.
Can I get a gastric balloon?
Now you understand what it is, how it works and you’ve weighed up (pardon the pun) the pros and cons of the gastric balloon. But are you a suitable candidate for this type of treatment?
The gastric balloon procedure is an ideal option for people who:
- Aren’t too overweight that they should be considered for the more standard, effective methods of bariatric surgery.
- Don’t want to commit to something as permanent as a sleeve gastrectomy surgery for example.
- Need to lose weight quickly for a reason that is important to them, for example, a joint replacement, but would find it hard to do so otherwise.
If you think that you are a potential candidate for a gastric balloon and would like to discuss your options further then please contact our team today at Upper GI Surgery who will be able to make you an appointment with one of our bariatric surgery specialists to discuss your options in more detail and what is going to be most suitable for you. You can either contact us online or give us a call on (020) 9553 1220.
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