Obesity: obesity or overweight is excessive fat accumulation in the body. Obesity is described as excess fat accumulation equal to more than 25% of the body weight in men and 30% of the body weight in women. Recently, gastric balloon (weight loss balloon) became the most preferred modality in treatment of obesity, as it does not require any surgical procedure.
Gastric Balloon (Weight loss balloon)
It is a silicone balloon placed into the stomach with endoscopic technique while the patient is sedated. The gastric balloon is a very effective method for weight loss and side effects of this procedure are very rare. Gastric balloon procedure aims to reduce the amount of food ingested and create a feeling of fullness.
The gastric balloon is inflated with 500-700 cc of air or physiological saline. The balloon is left in the stomach and the endoscopy is ended. The gastric balloon stays in the stomach for 6 months to 1 year. Some of these balloons are adjustable. The balloon may be inflated or deflated depending on how much weight you lose.
It provides an average weight loss of 10-40 kilograms. You may experience nausea and vomiting for the first several days after the gastric balloon is placed. This condition can be managed with medications. Very rare side effects include deflation of the balloon and intestinal obstruction; however, such risks have been eliminated thanks to the cutting edge balloon systems. If the balloon deflates, it remains in the stomach and does not cause intestinal obstruction. The balloon is removed under sedation with endoscopic technique 6-12 months later.