What is gastric balloon?
Gastric balloon is one of the non-surgical obesity treatments used in obesity treatment that decreases surgical risks especially in morbid obesity cases. Non-surgical weight losing techniques that used in obesity treatments in recent years have strikingly effective results.
Gastric balloon method enables weight loss between 10-25 kg on average and patients must follow diet and exercise program for successful results. When patients follow diet program, s/he will not gain all those lost weights.
How is gastric balloon applied?
Patients are operated under sedation or general anaesthesia. Intra gastric balloon is placed into stomach from mouth by using endoscopic method in uninflated position. After placing the balloon, this balloon is inflated with air until reaching 500-900 ml volume or with blue dyed serum until reaching 450-500 cc volume. This operation can be completed in 15 minutes. Patients don’t need to be hospitalised after this procedure. Patients are monitored for a short time after the operation and patients can go back home on the same day. Stomach pain and spasms are normal for the first 3 days after the operation. These post-operative complaints will disappear in the future.
After the operation, patients must follow special diet and exercise program prepared form them. If this lifestyle is maintained, weight control will be easier when the balloon is removed. Intra gastric balloon must be removed 6-12 months later. Balloon is removed under general anaesthesia.
Who can/can’t have gastric balloon?
Balloon technique can be applied to patients who will have obesity surgery and need to have lower surgical risks as well as individuals with body mass higher than 25 and patients who failed to lose weight with diet and exercise programs.
Intra gastric balloon cannot be applied to individuals with stomach problems, who are pregnant and who has cortisone treatment.
Does gastric balloon rupture?
Intra gastric balloons don’t rupture but rarely there can be leakage. Liquid inside the balloon is dyed with blue to notice any possible leakage. If balloons inflated with blue liquid leaks, patient’s urine will turn green. When this is notices, location of the balloon and possible volume changes should be controlled.
