Obalon Balloon – What Is the Procedure About?

Obesity is a thriving issue affecting millions around the globe. There are several diets, therapies, and exercises available to shed those extra kilos, but for some, these methods are futile. This is when clinical procedures come into the picture and can provide guaranteed results over a specific period. These are often done surgically and are known to have long term effects. However, with time and development, certain procedures do not require any surgery, and do not cause any permanent changes to the body while achieving weight-loss. One such non-invasive procedure that is popular among overweight patients is the Obalon Balloon.

WHAT IS OBALON BALLOON?

An Obalon Balloon is a unique procedure that is approved by the FDA for the achievement of weightloss through non-surgical method. In this procedure, a pill containing an inflatable balloon is swallowed by the patient. When the balloon reaches the stomach, it is inflated. 2 to 3 such balloons are kept in the stomach such that the capacity of the stomach reduces. As a result, the person fills fuller faster than before, after every meal, and thereby forcing the body to break down the existing fat. This way, average of 7 to 15 % of the total weight of a person is reduced within 12 weeks of treatment or less. For some, this procedure helps to achieve phenomenal effects of losing weight. Most patients lose pounds of weight over a period of 6 months.

Gastric balloons are effective, can be placed within few minutes, and do not require any surgery to carry out the procedure. Still, they require lifestyle change, education, and support for the surgery to be effective.

WHO CAN AVAIL THIS PROCEDURE?

This procedure is available only after you consult your bariatric surgeon. If you BMI is above 27, then you qualify for this procedure. Still, it is recommended to consult a doctor before opting for the procedure.

HOW ARE THE BALLOONS INSERTED?

The gastric balloons are inserted orally; the doctor asks the patient to swallow a pill containing the balloon. Or they are inserted endoscopically wherein a camera is passed with a balloon into the stomach, and then detached into it. The entire procedure of placing the balloons takes around 15- 20 minutes.

HOW LONG IS THE SURGERY EFFECTIVE?

The procedure has a shelf life of 6 months. After a span of 6 months, the balloons are deflated and removed using an endoscope.

HOW DO THESE BALLOONS HELP TO ACHIEVE WEIGHT LOSS?

To understand its working, let us first understand how the balloons function. Whenever the balloons are inserted into the stomach, the average stomach, which is 1.5 L in size, is reduced by around 40%. This means only 60% of the available stomach is utilized for digestion of food. Since, the stomach is occupied by the balloons, you can only consume a limited amount of food in one sitting.

HOW ARE THESE BETTER THAN OTHER SURGERIES?

Any other surgery such as the sleeve surgery Dubai surgeons have to offer involve incisions to be made. Which means there are chances of infections and other complications arising from the surgery. Furthermore, after the surgery, there is no pain, unlike the other invasive surgeries. So, the recovery time is reduced significantly.

Also, after the surgery, there are very few side effects. This is not the case with the other bariatric procedures.

This procedure is not permanent as after a span of 6 months, the balloons are removed. So, there is no irreversible change to the digestive system. In case you are looking for permanent non-surgical procedure then POSE weightless procedure is the answer.

Thus, all these factors make this surgery a better choice.