What is a gastric balloon surgery?

A gastric balloon is a soft, smooth, durable balloon made of silicone rubber. It is designed to be placed in the stomach to reduce its capacity and help you feel full with less food. The deflated balloon is inserted through the mouth and into the stomach by a doctor using an endoscope.

Gastric balloon is a method used in the treatment of obesity and does not require surgery. It is a method that helps to lose weight by creating a low calorie environment as a result of less food intake and continuous saturation thanks to the balloon that takes up the volume in the stomach.

It is a method that can stay in the stomach for 6-12 months and has been used in the treatment of obesity for about 30 years. Provided that the diet and exercise program are followed,approximately 20 kilograms of weight loss can be expected in one year with this method.

After the balloon is inserted, weight control is provided by arranging nutrition within a program under the control of a dietitian.

The balloon is applied endoscopically, that is, without surgery. Since the patient is anesthetized, he does not feel anything during the procedure and the procedure is completed in an average of 15 minutes.

Before the balloon is applied, the esophagus, stomach and 12 finger intestines are evaluated endoscopically and it is revealed whether there is contraindication to the application of the balloon. After removing the endoscope in patients without contraindication, the balloon is sent to the stomach through the mouth and esophagus via special apparatus. Afterwards, after the position of the balloon in the stomach is aligned by performing an endoscopy again, the balloon is inflated by injecting methylene blue-dyed saline into the balloon by means of special endoscopic apparatus.

First of all, 400 cc of saline can be increased over time according to the tolerability of the patient and all these procedures are performed endoscopically. After the procedure, the patient wakes up immediately and is discharged home after staying in the hospital for approximately 1-2 hours.

How long does gastric balloon last?

Gastric balloons are left in place for up to 6 months and are then removed using an endoscope. At that time, a new balloon may be placed, or not, depending on the plan determined by you and your doctor.