What Is A Gastric Balloon And How Does It Work?
Gastric balloon is a treatment method used to lose weight. It consists of an inflatable balloon that is placed in the stomach through a tube. This balloon increases the feeling of fullness by reducing the volume of the stomach and thus provides you to eat less. Gastric balloon is preferred by many people because it is a non-surgical method.
What Is A Gastric Balloon?
A gastric balloon is a tube made of an inflatable balloon. This balloon is placed in the stomach and inflated. The balloon increases the feeling of fullness by reducing the stomach volume and thus provides you to eat less. Gastric balloon is used as a non-surgical weight loss treatment.
How Does A Gastric Balloon Work?
The gastric balloon, when placed in the stomach, is inflated and reduces the stomach volume. This allows you to get full early and eat less when you eat. The gastric balloon usually stays in the stomach between 6 months and a year, and helps with weight loss in the meantime.
Who Is Suitable For Gastric Balloon?
Gastric balloon can be applied to people with a body mass index between 27 and 40. In addition, people with obesity-related health problems may also be suitable for gastric balloon therapy.
Advantages Of Gastric Balloon:
- Fast weight loss: Gastric balloon gives faster results than other weight loss methods. In the first weeks, average of 2-4 weight loss per week may be observed.
- A non-surgical treatment: Gastric balloon therapy does not require surgery. Therefore, it is a suitable option for those who are afraid of surgery.
- Less risk: Since it is a non-surgical method, there are no risks associated with surgery in gastric balloon therapy.
- A short-term treatment: The gastric balloon usually stays in the stomach between 6 months and a year. At the end of this period, the balloon is removed and you can return to your normal life.
Weight Loss Rate With Gastric Balloon
Gastric balloon gives faster results than other weight loss methods. In the first weeks, average of 2-4 weight loss per week may be observed. However, this rapid weight loss is more common in the first months of treatment and then slows down. In the first 6 months, average weight loss of 10-20 is expected. During the treatment, the person should be under regular control with diet and exercise.
Although gastric balloon therapy is not a long-term weight loss solution, it provides motivation for a person to lose weight and helps to establish long-term healthy lifestyle habits. The weight loss rate may vary depending on a person’s age, weight, gender, metabolism, and lifestyle. However, usually after gastric balloon therapy, the person’s weight loss rate is higher than other weight loss methods.
What Are The Points To Take Into Consideration About The Gastric Balloon?
Although gastric balloon is a fast and effective weight loss method, it also brings some risks. For this reason, there are some points to take into consideration before and after the gastric balloon application. Here are the important points to note about the gastric balloon:
- Choosing a Specialist and Experienced Doctor: Gastric balloon application should definitely be performed by an experienced doctor. Although this method is non-surgical, it involves risks, and the doctor who will perform the procedure should have the expertise and experience to manage these risks.
- Health Status: Before the gastric balloon application, the person’s health status should be carefully examined. Gastric balloon application is not recommended for people with certain health problems. For this reason, the person’s health status should be examined first and it should be determined whether this method is suitable for him.
- Diet and Exercise: Although the gastric balloon is not a solution on its own, it should be used together with diet and exercise. This method generate motivation to lose weight, but a person should adopt a healthy lifestyle to make it sustainable.
- Controls: After the gastric balloon application, regular controls are very important. These checkups are performed to monitor whether the balloon is in place, the person’s health status and weight loss.
- Side Effects: Gastric balloon application may cause some side effects. These side effects include stomachache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and indigestion. Medicines recommended by the doctor should be used to alleviate side effects.
- Postoperative Nutrition: After the gastric balloon application, the person’s feeding habits should be carefully reviewed. Because the balloon fits in the stomach, the person will get full early and start eating less. However, the nutrition balance should be maintained and adequate amounts of protein, fibrous foods and other nutrients should be taken.
