Maintaining Good Health Even When You're Busy

Weight-Loss Balloon Treatment: Key Questions And Answers

by Caitlin Obara

Many people who are overweight have considerable difficulty in losing the extra weight and keeping it off. A new treatment, however, known as weight-loss balloon surgery, has shown a lot of promise in helping individuals with serious weight problems. Here are some key questions and answers regarding this innovative procedure. 

How Does It Work? 

The process involves a doctor placing a balloon into your stomach using a special tool known as an endoscope. Once the balloon is in your stomach, it's filled with saline and expands. The expanded balloon takes up space in the stomach, which makes you feel full even when you eat less. This means that you will eat less food than you would otherwise and, therefore, start to lose weight. 

Am I a Candidate? 

To be a good candidate for the procedure, you need to have a body mass index between 30 and 40. Doctors consider people with a body mass index of 30 or higher to be obese. In addition to being obese, it's also expected that you will have failed to lose the weight through more traditional methods, such as diet and exercise. If you have had prior stomach surgery or surgery on your esophagus, this could disqualify you. 

Another factor that makes someone a prospect for this treatment is having a serious health issue that is directly related to their obesity. This includes conditions such as high blood pressure and Type-2 diabetes. 

Is the Balloon Permanent? 

No, the balloon does not remain in your body permanently. It comes about after it has been in your stomach about six months. 

What are the Side Effects? 

Nausea is a possible side effect of the surgery, especially during the first few days after the procedure. Another potential complication is gastric ulcers, although typically the ulcers are not serious. 

Will the Weight Loss Be Permanent? 

Once the balloon comes out, you will not have the advantage of feeling full on less food. Because of this, you will be given nutrition counseling during the process to help you change your eating habits. Once you have acquired good eating habits, you should be able to maintain your weight at an optimal level even after the balloon is removed.  

Weight-loss balloon surgery is an attractive option for some people who are not able to lose weight with other methods. To learn more about this issue, consider discussing the procedure with your family physician or click "go to website"now.

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