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Treatment

Intragastric Balloon

Intragastric Balloon

Temporary aid to boost weight loss in those who do not meet the criteria for gastric banding e.g. those with a BMI of 27-35.

The intragastric balloon is a simple but effective device to reduce the size of the capacity of your stomach and thus make you feel full more quickly. Patients typically lose between 2 and 4 stones over a six month period when the balloon is used in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet.

The silicone balloon is passed into the stomach on the end of a long tube which the patient swallows. This is carried out under heavy sedation (a mild kind of anaesthetic) so that most patients don't usually remember too much about the procedure. Once the balloon is correctly positioned within the stomach, 500ml of sterile saline containing a blue dye is injected down the tube and into the balloon. This is done under direct vision (by using a flexible camera passed down the gullet alongside the tube and into the stomach). The balloon inflation takes about fifteen minutes. Patients are usually discharged later the same day.

It takes a little while for the stomach to get used to the presence of the balloon and most patients have a pretty rough time for 2 days - 2 weeks after insertion. Nausea, stomach cramps and some vomiting are common early side effects, although these can be at least partly helped by sticking to a liquid/sloppy diet and various take home medicines we supply. The balloon is able to stay in the stomach for six months after which time it must be removed.

Unless significant improvements in diet and lifestyle have been achieved whilst the balloon was in place, weight regain is frequently seen after it has been removed. For this reason, balloons tend to be used as a temporary aid to boost weight loss in those who do not meet the criteria for gastric banding e.g. those with a BMI of 27-35.