What is the Gastric Balloon?
The gastric balloon is not a surgery. It is a procedure that has been safely performed for many years and is used to reduce the stomach’s capacity. In this procedure, a balloon inflated with 400-700 cc of liquid is placed into the patient’s stomach, reducing its volume. This helps prevent excessive food intake and reduces the patient’s appetite. The procedure takes only 10-20 minutes! No hospital stay is required. After the procedure, the patient can be discharged after staying in the hospital for 3-4 hours and receiving an IV infusion.
What is the Duration of the Gastric Balloon?
The gastric balloon is placed for 6 months or 1 year. At the end of this period, the balloon is removed from the stomach using an endoscopic method.
Which Brands of Gastric Balloons Do You Use?
FDA and CE approved gastric balloons are safely used for our patients. After the procedure, you will be provided with a certification for the balloon used.
Who Can Have a Gastric Balloon?
The gastric balloon can be applied to overweight patients (BMI < 30 kg/m2) to aid in diet and exercise programs. It can also be applied to super morbidly obese patients (BMI > 60 kg/m2) prior to bariatric surgery to make the surgery easier and reduce complication rates.
What Are the Complications of the Gastric Balloon?
The most common post-procedure symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and cramp-like pain (due to the foreign body effect of the balloon inside the stomach). These symptoms usually subside within 48-72 hours. However, in rare cases, if the balloon is not tolerated by the body (balloon intolerance), it may need to be removed.
In very rare cases, due to balloon deflation, the liquid inside may leak, causing the balloon to move through the digestive system, potentially leading to intestinal obstruction. Stomach ulcers and reflux symptoms have also been reported.
Can the Gastric Balloon Burst? How Will I Know?
In balloons that are removed on time, bursting is a very rare complication. If this happens, the blue-colored liquid inside the balloon will gradually start to leak into the stomach. This liquid, filtered through the kidneys, mixes with the yellow color of urine, resulting in a greenish color. This color change can also be noticed in the stool. When this is noticed, the balloon must be removed endoscopically.
