Intra Gastric Balloon

How does Intra Gastric Balloon work?

• It fills up your stomach, therefore you feel full with small servings.
• The food slows down in your stomach, so you eat less often.

Intra gastric balloon is suitable for you, if:

• You want to lose 10 to 15 kgs. Weight loss with intra gastric balloon is variable and may range anything between 1 kg to 30 kgs.
• You are preparing for bariatric surgery, and it is not feasible currently due to medical reasons.
• Your BMI is 25 or more (for Asians) and 27 or more (for others).
• You are looking for a reversible procedure.

Intra gastric balloon is not suitable for you, if:

• You are suffering from Hiatus hernia or acid reflux
• You have a bleeding disorder
• You have undergone stomach surgery before
• You are pregnant or planning for family
• You are seeking to optimize health as a bridge to a nonobesity therapy (e.g., organ transplantation, knee, or hip replacement).
• You may wish to lose weight by using options other than surgery.

In such patients, pharmacotherapy and medically supervised diet programs have shown variable and modest efficacy for weight loss, and they are generally ineffective for long-term weight loss maintenance and comorbidity reduction.

This procedure is also unsuitable for people who are dependent upon alcohol or drugs.

How the Intra gastric balloon is placed?
Intra Gastric Balloon procedure is performed with the help of endoscope, a small silicon balloon is placed in upper stomach. It takes 15 – 30 minutes to complete this procedure. It is generally performed under light anaesthesia to make it comfortable. During the procedure the balloon is filled up with 400 – 700ml of coloured fluid.

Your post procedure recovery:
You may feel full or nauseated for next 2 – 3 days, for this you need to take antacids and anti-emetics. The antacids medication will continue till the balloon is in place. You will start with liquid diet and gradually resume to normal diet in two weeks, your capacity to tolerate most food types will improve day by day, although the portion you will be able to eat in one meal will be considerably reduced. A regular follow up for one year is a must to achieve good weight loss.

How long is the balloon left in?
Two different systems of intra balloon are used. In one type it is recommended to be removed within 6 months and in the other type the balloon can be kept for as long as one year.  The complications may increase or balloon may get deflated beyond the specified time. The balloon may be removed earlier, if you are not feeling good with it.

What, if the balloon deflates?
The balloon is filled with blue coloured fluid. If the balloon deflates or leaks, it will change the colour of your urine to blue. If you notice this, you must notify the hospital immediately.

How is the balloon removed:
It is removed with endoscopy, under sedation and normally it is a straight forward procedure. The balloon is punctured, deflated, grasped and removed.

Complications with Intra Gastric Balloon:
In rare instances, it may cause bleeding, perforation, migration leading to obstruction and rarely surgery may be required to deal with these problems. It is essential to continue with healthy eating habits and lifestyle to maintain good weight.

Caution: It is important to avoid pregnancy till such time the balloon is in place.