The gastric balloon, also known as an intragastric balloon, is a technique that consists of placing a balloon inside the stomach to occupy part of the space and make the person eat less, thus facilitating weight loss.
Generally, to place the vials an endoscopy is performed where it is placed in the stomach and then remodeled with a physiological contribution. This procedure is quite fast and is performed under sedation; therefore, there is no need to remain hospitalized.
- The gastric balloon results in a 13% reduction of the original weight during its first 6 months of use.
- This procedure is indicated in people with a BMI greater than 30 kg / m2 and with diseases associated with high pressure diabetes or in people with a BMI greater than 35 kg / m2.
There is no age at which a gastric balloon can be placed; therefore, the technique could be considered a form of treatment when the degree of obesity is very high.
However, for children, it is always advisable to wait until the end of the growth phase, due to the degree of obesity, it may decrease beyond this phase.
Placing a gastric balloon, as well as helping to lose weight, has other benefits such as:
In addition, the placement of the balloon involves the brain, because its presence in the stomach sends the information that it is permanent, even if the patient has not eaten.
However, despite these benefits, it is a method that could not help maintain weight loss over time, once the balloon is removed, if healthy eating habits are not maintained, the person could gain weight again. Of course, some scientific studies have corroborated this situation.
It takes about 30 minutes to mount the gastric balloon and, as a general rule, the person does not need to remain hospitalized, so they must return to the recovery room for three to three hours before they can return home.
This technique consists of several steps
To ensure weight loss and results it is very important to use a balloon that is very important to follow a diet guided by a nutritionist, with caloric times and that must be adapted in the first month after the procedure. He knows more about what the surgery surgeon should look like.
It is also important to carry out a regular exercise program that, together with the diet, should be maintained after removing the ball, to avoid regaining weight.
Gastric balloon removal is typically performed 6 months after placement, this procedure being similar to placement, in which liquid is sucked in and removed from the balloon endoscopically under sedation. The balloon should be removed, as the processed material is degraded by stomach acids.
After withdrawal, it is possible to put another ball 2 months later, however, several times, this is not necessary, as the person adopting a healthy lifestyle will be able to maintain the weight without using the ball.
Installing the intragastric balloon on weight loss can cause nausea, vomiting and stomach pain during the first week, but the body adapts to the presence of the weight loss.
In less common cases, the balloon could burst and spread outside the intestine, causing it to become an obstruction and causing symptoms such as abdominal swelling, stress and green. In these cases, the hospital must rush to remove the balloon.
Gastric balloon installation is counteraded in people with 5 cm hiatus hernia, active duodenal stomach ulcer, previous surgical resection of the stomach, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal neoplasm, oropharyngeal abnormalities, active gastrointestinal hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, active gastrointestinal bleeding, active gastrointestinal bleeding, alcohol and drug abuse, psychiatric disease, pregnancy, use of anticoagulants or anti-inflammatory drugs and cardiovascular diseases , pulmonary or cerebrovascular.