Intragastric Balloon
The Intragastric Balloon is a soft yet durable silicone balloon that is designed to assist adult patients with obesity — both with losing and maintaining weight.
The balloon is part of a comprehensive, nonsurgical two-part program that starts with the durable balloon filling space in your stomach to reinforce proper portion control.
In a nonsurgical procedure typically done under a mild sedative, the thin and deflated balloon is placed into your stomach. It is then filled with saline until it’s about the size of a grapefruit. The procedure normally takes about 20 to 30 minutes and you usually can go home the same day.
Once the balloon is in place, a 12-month coaching program begins. At six months, the balloon is removed in the same way it was placed. Through a nonsurgical procedure done under a mild sedative, it is deflated and then removed.
Benefits of the Intragastric Balloon Procedure
Data collected in a U.S. clinical trial has shown the average person lost 3.1 times the weight that was lost with diet and exercise alone for six months.
For many, the weight-loss journey leaves them with little support or options in the gap between diet and exercise modifications and surgery. This is a safe and effective weight-loss solution with more than 300,000 placements worldwide.
Who Is a Candidate for This Procedure?
The procedure is an incisionless, nonsurgical solution for patients who are not eligible for or are not considering invasive surgery, but for whom diet and exercise modifications or medications have not worked.
It is intended for adult patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 to 40 who have attempted more conservative weight-reduction methods.
Intragastric Balloon FAQs
Published clinical studies have shown that if you keep to the prescribed diet and exercise regime you will maintain weight loss.
Intragastric balloons have been used for weight loss for more than 20 years. They have evolved in shape, size and design, resulting in a durable product that is now well established as a safe weight-loss procedure.
The intragastric balloon is constructed from a smooth and soft silicone material to minimize the risk of irritating the stomach wall. You will also be prescribed medicines that will reduce the acidity in your stomach and help protect your stomach wall. Patients with prior stomach surgery are not eligible for the procedure because of a higher risk of the balloon causing a perforation in the stomach.
It is very likely that the presence of the balloon in the stomach will cause nausea or vomiting after placement. In some patients it can last one to two weeks. Your physician may prescribe medication to help minimize these potential effects.
Balloon deflations or leaks are very rare. However, if the balloon should spontaneously deflate, you may no longer feel full after eating. If you suspect this may be the case, notify your provider immediately. A simple abdominal X-ray can determine whether either has occurred. If it has, your doctor will arrange to remove the deflated balloon.
Request an Appointment with an Orlando Health Physician
The balloon procedure is an exciting development to help provide patients with less invasive options that can assist them in reaching their long-term weight loss goals.
