Obesity and Gastric Balloon

Obesity has become a serious problem facing people of all ages. This problem hinders their daily activities in addition to the diseases it causes, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. People usually fail to lose weight by adhering to a healthy diet or exercising regularly. Therefore, people resort to the gastric balloon procedure to lose weight.

What is Gastric Balloon?

The gastric balloon is a medical device that is temporarily placed inside the stomach as a means of losing weight. It is also used to treat some medical conditions associated with weight gain, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and suffocation during sleep.

The gastric balloon works by reducing the space of the stomach and thus reducing the amount of food entering the body. It also reduces the rate of stomach emptying, which allows for a faster feeling of satiety.

As usual, before performing any medical intervention, some tests and pictures must be performed to ensure the health of the digestive system, and one must fast for several hours before the operation.

Gastric Balloon Procedure:

Talking about this procedure in detail, this operation is performed in the endoscopy unit after subjecting the patient to local anesthesia, then the doctor inserts a thin tube, and the balloon filled with saline solution is placed on it until it reaches the stomach. This step is accompanied by the presence of an endoscope that allows the doctor to perform the operation easily.

These procedures take approximately half an hour, and the balloon remains in the stomach for six months.

Types of Gastric Balloon:

There are many types of gastric balloon, but the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves only three types: “Orbera,” “Reshape,” and “Obalon.”

As for the side effects after the operation, they are some minor side effects such as nausea and vomiting, and some people also feel stomach pain.

The gastric balloon procedure is characterized by a high safety rate, but there must be some negative complications. A perforation of the balloon may occur, leading to emptying of its contents into the stomach, or an obstruction in the intestine, stomach ulcers, or infection as a result of contamination of the instruments.

The gastric balloon is one of the preferred procedures for people and doctors, as it is characterized by the absence of the need for surgical interventions or general anesthesia, the ease of inserting and removing the balloon, saving time and cost, in addition to its high safety rate and promising results.

Finally, medical errors may be fatal and may lead to serious consequences that cannot be avoided or repaired, such as deformities and permanent disabilities.

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