Gastric Balloon in Turkey

Procedure Details

Total Stay Duration
4 Days
Hospital Stay
Not Required
Procedure Duration
1 Hour
Anesthesia Type
Local Anesthesia
Recovery Period
1-2 Weeks

Gastric Balloon

However how hard they try, sometimes some people may face difficulties losing weight. Several factors can become obstacles to losing weight in some conditions. And because being overweight may result in some health problems, as well as psychological drawbacks, it might be a very delicate issue for some people.

Thankfully, the plastic surgery field is able to offer various solutions when it comes to losing weight. There are non-surgical and surgical procedures that may help one lose weight pretty easily. In this article, we will be discussing and informing you about one of these options: Gastric Balloon.

Gastric Balloon is a non-surgical operation that helps patients eat less and still feel full. In further paragraphs, we will be delicately explaining to you the complete procedure, as well as answering some frequently asked questions about the procedure.

What Is A Gastric Balloon?

The Gastric Balloon is a saline-filled silicone balloon that sits in the stomach cavity and reduces hunger by taking up about a third of the stomach capacity. Furthermore, the stomach empties more slowly with the gastric balloon in situ, making you feel fuller for longer.

The implantation of a gastric balloon, also known as an intragastric balloon, is a non-surgical treatment used to achieve long-term weight loss.

A saline-filled silicone balloon is inserted and placed into the stomach as part of the surgery. This helps you lose weight by limiting the quantity of food you can eat and making you feel full sooner.

If diet and exercise haven’t worked for you and you’re worried about your weight, intragastric balloon therapy can be a good option.

Because the balloon only lasts six months in the stomach, it is essential to adjust one’s lifestyle and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Like other weight-loss procedures, an intragastric balloon requires a commitment to a healthy lifestyle. You must make lasting healthy dietary changes and exercise on a regular basis to ensure the procedure’s long-term success.

How Is Intragastric Balloon Placement Done?

There are two types of gastric balloons, requiring two different techniques of the appliance.

The first type of intragastric balloon treatment is performed as an outpatient operation in the endoscopy unit. For the operation, you’ll be anesthetized. The doctor guides a tiny tube with the intragastric balloon down your neck and into your stomach during the surgery.

The doctor will next insert an endoscope down your neck and into your stomach. Your surgeon can watch the balloon while they fill it with saline thanks to the camera.

The second type of intragastric balloon treatment requires the patient to swallow a kind of pill that contains the gastric balloon inside.

After the patient swallows the pill, the balloon is filled with consumed fluids. This type of intragastric balloon lasts shorter and requires repetitive appliances for a proper result.

Why Is Intragastric Balloon Placement Done?

For some people, losing weight can be a very big problem. Weight loss may be obscured due to several reasons. A gastric balloon offers an alternative solution for weight loss. Intragastric balloon placement helps a patient easily lose weight without any problems, and in a healthy way.

Intragastric balloon placement is a newer procedure when compared to other convenient procedures such as gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. However, since it is less complicated and less painful, and it doesn’t require incisions or other surgical procedures, it can be considered an efficient and safe way of losing weight.

Weight reduction is aided by the placement of an intragastric balloon. Losing weight can also lower your risk of acquiring potentially serious weight-related health problems, such as:

♦ Heart attacks or strokes

♦ High blood pressure

♦ Diabetes

♦ Obstructive sleep apnea

♦ Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

♦ Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

♦ Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)

How Does Gastric Balloon Work?

Intragastric balloon placement basically helps one lose weight by restricting the occupation and flow in the stomach. When filled, a gastric balloon almost takes up more than half of the stomach, which results in less place for food. This helps one feel full by eating a considerable less amount of food.

Additionally, a gastric balloon partially restricts the flow in the stomach, which means the patient will feel full for a longer period of time when compared to normal.

A gastric balloon usually lasts up to 6 months and is manually removed after it becomes useless.

How Much Weight Can You Lose With Gastric Balloon?

Although we can’t say that a gastric balloon works the same for everyone, it can be implied that most of the time, patients lose 10-15% of their origin weight. This means a loss of 20 to 35 pounds for most of our patients.

However, although its success rate is pretty high, it should be said that gastric balloon doesn’t always work perfectly for everyone. In some situations, people may even gain weight during the period of treatment.

But this is a very little probability, and the procedure is almost always successful when carried out correctly, under the right conditions.

Advantages Of Gastric Balloon

Gastric balloon has its advantages and disadvantages like any other medical procedure. However, it can be said that the pros of the procedure greatly outweigh the cons. Below, we will be listing the advantages of the procedure:

♦ Gastric balloon helps one lose a considerable amount of weight most of the time.

♦ The success rate of the procedure is almost 100%.

♦ You will feel full by eating less and be less hungry while the balloon is in your stomach.

♦ Gastric balloon procedure doesn’t require any surgical processes.

♦ It is easy and quick to place the balloon.

♦ There are various sizes of ballons for different stomach sizes, this allows for a smoother experience for all candidates.

Disadvantages Of Gastric Balloon

♦ You will probably experience stomach cramps.

♦ You may experience difficulty in sleeping. This is a common side effect of gastric balloon.

♦ There is a chance that acute pancreatitis may occur if the balloon is overfilled.

♦ Vomiting is a very common side effect of gastric balloon. Patients usually report that they vomit every time they eat for the first week.

♦ Acid reflux is also a common side effect of gastric balloon. Your surgeon will prescribe you anti-reflux medications for this reason.

♦ Gastric balloon is a temporary procedure and if one doesn’t do the required changes for a healthier life, it is most likely that they will gain weight again.

Risks And Side Effects Of Gastric Balloon

Shortly after an intragastric balloon is introduced, around one-third of patients report discomfort and nausea. These symptoms, on the other hand, usually only last a few days after the balloon is inserted.

Oral medications are routinely used to treat these symptoms at home. Although serious side effects are conceivable when an intragastric balloon is inserted, they are infrequent.

If you have nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain after surgery, contact your doctor straight once. A possible issue is the balloon deflating. If the balloon deflates, there’s a chance it’ll pass through your digestive system.

This might cause a blockage, requiring further therapy or surgery to remove the device. Overinflation, severe pancreatitis, ulcers, or a hole in the stomach wall requiring surgery are all potential risks.

Gastric Balloon Vs. Gastric Sleeve: Which One Is Best For You?

♦ If you’ve tried and failed to lose weight with diet and exercise, you could be a suitable candidate for a gastric weight loss balloon you should also have a BMI of 30 to 40 (or as low as 27 in rare cases), indicating that this treatment may be suitable for persons with a BMI lower than that necessary for gastric sleeve surgery.
♦ If you’re contemplating this operation, you should also have one or more obesity-related health concerns, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, or sleep apnea.
♦ If you’ve had previous bariatric or gastrointestinal surgery, or if you have a gastrointestinal inflammatory illness, the operation might not be right for you. You may be ineligible for gastric balloon surgery if you have a stomach mass, a hiatal hernia, or liver failure.
♦ If you haven’t been able to lose weight with diet and exercise, you may be a suitable candidate for gastric sleeve surgery. You must be between the ages of 18 and 65 and have a BMI of 40 or greater to qualify. If your BMI is equal to or greater than this, you are considered medically obese. To give you an idea, if you’re 5 feet 9 inches tall, you’ll weigh around 270 pounds or more. Because a gastric sleeve treatment is a surgical procedure, you must be in good physical shape and free of any medical conditions that may make it more dangerous. You should also be prepared to adjust your eating and exercise habits, as well as face any psychological changes that may occur as a result of the surgery and weight reduction. 

To conclude, it can be said that if you have a relatively lower BMI score -between 27 and 40-, you should consider a gastric balloon treatment first, since it is easier to carry out and doesn’t really require a surgical process.

However, if you have a 40 or higher BMI score, you probably aren’t suitable for a gastric balloon treatment, which means you will have to go with a gastric sleeve surgery. If your condition is not critically dangerous for your health yet, you should definitely go with a gastric balloon treatment. This will allow you to have a proper treatment with a lover budget and easier process.

Three Types Of Intragastric Balloon Placement

There are three main types of gastric balloons: Orbera, Obalon, and ReShape. At Clinic Excellent, we usually prefer and suggest the first two of these types: Orbera and Obalon. Below, we will be informing you about all these three types and the differences between them.

Orbera

Orbera consists of a single saline-filled balloon. You will need to be minimally sedated if you choose an Orbera balloon implantation. The deflated balloon is then placed in your stomach via a tiny tube that is inserted down your throat. We inflate it with saline solution and remove the thin tube once it’s in the right spot.

The process will then be finished when we wake you up. The Orbera balloon is left in place for 6 months before being removed in the same technique that the balloon was placed. An orbera balloon can be adjusted in terms of size specially for the patient.

Obalon

Obalon is different from the other two types of gastric balloons in that it is ingested rather than implanted endoscopically. Sedation is not required during the placement procedure. Obalon is a three-balloon system that you ingest over the course of three visits to the doctor.

We will inflate the deflated Obalon balloon with gas after you have swallowed it in the form of a vitamin tablet. We’ll have you swallow another Obalon balloon on your following two appointments, and inflate them both in the same manner. The three Obalon balloons will be withdrawn at the same time, about 6 months after the first one was swallowed.

ReShape

ReShape is a different form of gastric balloon. ReShape is a saline-filled twin balloon device, rather than a single balloon, like Orbera. ReShape is inflated in the same way as Orbera, except instead of one huge balloon, two smaller balloons are inflated together.

The total volume of ReShape gastric balloons is usually more than Orbera and Obalon’s. Because of this, this type of gastric balloon can be used for candidates that have a larger stomach.

Gastric Balloon Costs

The price of a gastric balloon treatment mostly depends on the type of balloon used. However, this doesn’t actually affect the prices that much either. Usually, an intragastric balloon treatment costs between £2400 and £2900, depending on the type of balloon used.

Intragastric Balloon Placement: Before and During The Procedure

Before the procedure, there may be the need of running some tests, such as a BMI test for a better-adjusted procedure. Although there won’t be any surgical procedure, you are suggested to avoid consuming alcohol, cigarette, and pain medicine.

Intragastric balloon placement is a non-surgical procedure, which means there won’t be any incisions or full anesthesia during the process. Depending on your choice, there may be a need for light sedation for the endoscopic placement of the balloon.

Apart from that, there won’t be a need for staying at the hospital or restrict your movements. You can carry on with your daily life the day the procedure is carried out.

Recovery

Although gastric balloon placement isn’t actually followed by a complete recovery process, your body will need time to adjust to the balloon inside your stomach.  The first few weeks might be difficult for you, since you may experience stomach cramps and vomiting.

However, after your body is able to adjust to the changes, there will be no such problems. You will feel full after eating less and you will be able to lose weight without any medical concerns.

Gastric Balloon Removal

Prior to the removal of the gastric balloon, you will be given a light sedative, just as you were during the placement. Your doctor will drain the saline solution from the gastric balloon and then remove the deflated gastric balloon through your mouth using endoscopic equipment. In most cases, the complete treatment takes less than 30 minutes. You are allowed to go with your planned ride after a brief in-house inspection.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gastric Balloon

 ♦ Will I be able to lose more weight compared to a regular diet?

On a gastric balloon, you might expect to lose more weight than you would with a diet. Patients lost three times more weight using a gastric balloon than they did with a diet and exercise regimen alone, according to the findings of a study.

This is due to the fact that the inflatable gadget occupies a considerable portion of your stomach, leaving little room for eating. The balloon will make you feel full sooner and for longer, even after modest meals, making it simpler to regulate your eating and make positive adjustments to your eating habits.


♦ Can I do exercises after the placement?

You should avoid intense exercise for the first week following your treatment. However, after your body has adjusted to the balloon, there is no reason why you can’t resume your regular workout routine.
In fact, beginning a regular fitness routine is strongly suggested and will increase your weight reduction success possibilities. Contact sports that may include blows to the abdomen, such as rugby and martial arts, are the only activities we recommend you avoid.


♦ What can I eat after intragastric balloon placement?

You may feel sick for a few days while your body adjusts, and you may not feel like eating much at all. Remember to stay hydrated throughout this time. Following this time of adjustment, the balloon will assist you in reducing your portion sizes since you will simply not feel as hungry as you once did.
There are no limits on what you may eat or drink, but if you want to have long-term success with the balloon, now is the time to assess your eating habits and attempt to cut back on alcohol, high fat, and high sugar items.
The balloon can assist you with this adjustment because consuming a lot of fatty and sugary meals while the balloon is in place can make you nauseous. Excessive overeating, in general, is risky and can lead to major medical problems.


♦ Can I undertake intragastric balloon placement during pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Trying to lose a lot of weight during these times might jeopardize your baby’s growth, thus intragastric balloons should be avoided until after the pregnancy and breastfeeding phase is through.
If you become pregnant while wearing a balloon, it will be removed when it is safe to do so, usually in the second trimester.


♦ Can I consume alcohol while the balloon is in the place?

Alcohol in moderation is acceptable, however excessive or frequent alcohol use can sabotage your weight reduction attempts due to its high calorie content.


♦ What if the balloon inflates before removal?

Your doctor will fill the balloon with a colored dye called methylene blue at the moment of insertion. This can help you spot deflation or leakage early on since the color of your urine will change to green or blue. If this happens, you must inform the clinic right away so that the balloon may be removed within 48 hours.


♦ Will intragastric balloon placement restrict my medication intake?

Our specialists will examine you to manage any drugs you may be taking, and you will receive personalized medication recommendations beforehand.
Because the intragastric balloon decreases the time it takes for the stomach to empty, it may lengthen the time it takes for your prescription to take effect. Intragastric balloons, on the other hand, do not interfere with the efficacy of drugs. Around the time of insertion, correction, or removal, blood thinners would need to be stopped. Low-dose aspirin can usually be administered.