Gastric balloon

Gastric balloon

The gastric balloon is a non-surgical procedure that helps to lose weight by inserting a soft silicone balloon into the stomach and inflating it to occupy a space inside it, making it smaller and accommodating small amounts of food.

Gastric balloon surgery aims to increase the feeling of fullness and the need to eat small amounts of food without the need to over-quantify, as this leads to the accumulation of fat in the body and weight gain.

Laparoscopic gastric balloon operation steps

There are several steps that are followed to complete the gastric balloon procedure, which are as follows:

The patient is anesthetized with a local anesthetic and the patient is given some sedatives to help him relax during the procedure.
The doctor uses the medical endoscope without the need for surgical incisions, where the endoscope is inserted through the mouth into the stomach, and the endoscope carries a camera connected to a television screen that helps the doctor to follow the insertion of the balloon into the stomach accurately.
The balloon is empty at first and when it reaches the stomach, it is filled with a sterile liquid in a blue color, and it is used as an alarm indicator for the patient in the event that the balloon perforates and its contents leak into the stomach, where the solution changes the color of urine and turns it into blue, and the balloon can be filled with nitrogen gas, which is characterized by light weight.
The balloon is self-closing after filling it with sterile liquid.
The doctor removes the endoscope and lets the balloon settle normally inside the stomach.
The procedure takes about 30 minutes and the patient can leave the hospital and return home hours after the operation.

Advantages of gastric balloon

There are several advantages that appear to users of this type of procedures related to slimming and weight loss, which are as follows:

Gastric balloon operation is very safe and achieves a lot of good results.
It is carried out under local anesthesia without the need for the use of general anesthesia.
Do not leave scars or wounds on the abdomen as it is done through a medical endoscope.
It helps in controlling food quantities and controlling appetite as the patient feels full after eating small amounts of food.
They help improve health problems associated with being overweight such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Who is the gastric balloon suitable for?

It is one of the procedures that are not suitable for everyone, and therefore there are several cases eligible for this procedure, and they are as follows:

The condition must be between 18 and 70 years old.
The need for a BMI in excess of 27.
When the ratio of the index of the mass ranges between 35 to 40 without diseases related to obesity.
Suitable for those who want to get rid of excess weight in a short time.
Be appropriate for those who do not have serious health problems.

The most prominent foods after the gastric balloon procedure

An appropriate diet should be adhered to after the gastric balloon procedure, with the following points to be included:

The first days and weeks after the procedure depend on pureed food, liquids and some soft foods.
You can move from a fluid regimen to foods that are graded in hardness until the body adapts to the presence of the balloon and avoids cases of nausea.
After completing the stage of liquid food, you can stick to some solid foods that have a natural texture after two weeks of balloon installation.
Since the main goal of the balloon is to get rid of excess weight, the instructions of the attending physician should be followed, exercise and eat healthy foods.
The amounts of food and appetite in general can be controlled after the balloon is installed, so the accumulated fat is eliminated as soon as possible.

Thus, we have learned how to install a gastric balloon and the advantages related to this procedure, in addition to clarifying the diet to be followed after completing this procedure.