Intragastric balloon is a soft silicon balloon filled with 400 to 700 milliliters of saline solution, this balloon is placed into the stomach using medical endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and camera on its tip that goes through the mouth down to the stomach.
Intragastric balloon usually stays inside the stomach cavity for 6 months, after this period, its volume begins to shrink gradually and it must be removed to avoid complications such as slipping into the duodenum and associated bowel obstruction, and removal of the stomach balloon is also performed using an endoscope.
Am I Suitable for a Intra-Gastric Balloon?
- Body mass index (BMI) is between 30 and 40
- Willing to commit to healthy lifestyle changes, get regular medical follow-up and participate in behavioral therapy
- Have not had any previous stomach or esophageal surgery
How does it applied?
The intra-gastric balloon procedure is done in the endoscopy unit as an outpatient procedure. You’ll be sedated for the procedure.During the procedure, the doctor advances a thin tube (catheter) loaded with the intra-gastric balloon down patient’s throat into his/her stomach. Next, the doctor advances an endoscope, flexible tube with a camera attached, down his/her throat into stomach. The camera allows doctor to see the balloon as he or she fills it with saline.
The procedure takes about a half-hour. Patient can normally go home one to two hours after the procedure is finished.
What You Can Eat With the Balloon
As typically with gastric operations, the first few days and weeks of diet after the gastric balloon procedure is solely based on liquids, purees, and other soft foods. The transition from liquids to more solid food goes slowly step-by-step as it is necessary to get your body comfortable with the balloon and avoid nausea. After the initial liquid diet, you can move on to normal textured solid foods after around two weeks.
However, as the main goal is to lose weight, it is vital to follow the diet recommendations and start eating healthy and exercising more. But not to worry – it is significantly more manageable thanks to reduced appetite caused by the gastric balloon.
Types of Balloons
Our partners are providing three types of balloons:
- 4-months Elipse gastric balloon (without anesthesia)
- 6-months Allergan gastric balloon (intravenous)
- 12-months Spatz gastric balloon (general)
The most interesting one of these options is the Elipse gastric balloon, a new generation balloon. What makes it unique is that it doesn’t require anesthesia for insertion or a separate procedure for removal, unlike other balloons – it merely detaches itself from the body after four months.
The outcome of all of these balloon procedures is quite the same. People tend to lose around 10-25 kg or even more, depending on their starting weight. To find the best option for you, talk to your physician, who will help you find the right program.
LAP-BAND surgery in the US can be prohibitively expensive, with an average price tag of around $15,000, which can often increase to $30,000 when all medical bills are totaled.
In comparison, the average cost of this same procedure abroad, such as in Mexico or Turkey, is $5,000-$8,000.
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Face masks provided for travelers
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
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