An intragastric balloon is a newer kind of weight-loss procedure. A saline-filled silicone balloon is placed in your stomach, which helps you lose weight by limiting how much you can eat. You need to make permanent healthy changes to your diet and get regular exercise to help ensure the long-term success of the intragastric balloon procedure.
Who it’s for
An intragastric balloon may be an option for you if :
- Your body mass index (BMI) is between 30 and 40.
- You’re willing to commit to healthy lifestyle changes and regular medical follow-up, as well as to participate in behavioral therapy.
- You have not had any previous stomach or esophageal surgery.
Intragastric balloons aren’t the right choice for everyone who is overweight. A screening process will help your doctor see if the procedure might be beneficial for you.
How you prepare
You may need to restrict what you eat and drink, as well as which medications you take, in the time leading up to the procedure
What is the Procedure
The intragastric balloon procedure is done in the endoscopy unit as an outpatient procedure. You’ll be sedated for the procedure.
During the procedure, the doctor advances a thin tube (catheter) loaded with the intragastric balloon down your throat into your stomach. Next, the doctor advances an endoscope-a flexible tube with a camera attached-down your throat into your stomach. The tiny camera allows your doctor to see the balloon as he or she fills it with saline.
The procedure takes about a half-hour. You can normally go home several hours after the procedure.
After intragastric balloon insertion
You can have small amounts of liquid starting about six hours after the procedure. The liquid diet generally continues until the start of the second week when you can start eating soft foods. You’ll probably be able to start eating regular food around three weeks after the insertion of the intragastric balloon. Intragastric balloons are left in place for up to 6 months, and are then removed using an endoscope.
Result
An intragastric balloon can make you feel fuller faster than you normally would. Which often means you’ll eat less. One reason why may be that the intragastric balloon slows down the time it takes to empty the stomach. In initial period immediately after Balloon insertion one may feel nausea and abdominal cramps which eventually become better as your body adapts to Balloon. The amount of weight you lose also depends on how much you can change your lifestyle habits.
