Gastric balloon - Dr. Hussam Al Trabulsi

Endoscopic Intragastric Balloon

The intragastric balloon is a non-surgical, endoscopic weight-loss option for slightly overweight, overweight, and obese patients. If you have failed to lose weight using other methods, this might be an ideal solution for you. Patients will typically lose between about 9-15kg, in addition to adapting a new eating and lifestyle habit.

How it works

Dr Hussam uses many leading intragastric balloon systems, such as the FDA-approved Orbera, which is inserted and removed orally using an endoscope, meaning there are no incisions or scars, and it lasts for 6 months. Another balloon is the Ellipse, which is a capsule that can be swallowed and only requires the doctor to inflate it – without even an endoscope! The balloon is inflated in your stomach so it takes up space and encourages your body to adapt to smaller portion sizes.

After six months, the Orbera balloon is removed, again using an endoscope, the Ellipse deflates alone and exists without the doctor’s interference.

Some patients are not eligible for gastric balloons, for example, people with stomach ulcers, or women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning to fall pregnant within six months. As a first step, therefore, our gastric surgeon will review your medical history and conduct a physical examination including a full upper endoscopy to check the health of your digestive tract and exclude H.pylori infection.If you are found to be a suitable candidate, the approximately 20-minute procedure is done in-office, and most patients go home after a two-hour recovery period. The procedure starts with mild sedation, then the deflated gastric balloon is inserted through the esophagus and into your stomach. The balloon is then filled with a sterile saline solution using a syringe, until it is about the size of a grapefruit.