Ballooning of the stomach

The problem of overweight continues to be very relevant. Various diets in combination with physical exercises of the effect in many cases do not give, because they provide a severe restriction in nutrition. One of the modern techniques is ballooning of the stomach. The procedure is among the most sparing among all known bariatric methods.

What is a gastric balloon?

The balloon into the stomach is set at a body mass index of 30 to 40 kg / m2. It is a silicone "ball", equipped with a special valve.

It is introduced into the stomach through the oral cavity, and then filled with a colored sterile solution. Once injected no more than 700 ml of liquid. Increasing its volume can cause forced depressurization of the balloon.

This measure allows time to detect the depressurization of the balloon. When the liquid flows out, the color of the urine stains the color of the dye. If you skip this process, then the balloon can go down into the lumen of the intestine and provoke complete obstruction.

Silicone can not be detected by roentgenology. And in order to detect a failed balloon, an installation of a radiopaque label is used. To remove the product, an open cavity operation is required.

Advantages of ballooning

The establishment of a balloon in the stomach is one of the least invasive bariatric procedures, the advantage of which is low-trauma and ease of execution. The duration of the setting procedure is not more than 40 minutes, it takes a little less time to remove - about half an hour. The patient will be able to return home within 3 hours after completion.

The efficiency of the procedure reaches 80-90%. For six months of wearing a gastric balloon, weight loss on average is 4% of the current weight. If the patient can adhere to the principles of rational nutrition, the results achieved will be stable.

Since the staging of the balloon does not involve surgical manipulation, the ballooning of the stomach completely eliminates the risk of cosmetic defects and typical complications such as infection of the wound, bleeding, divergence of seams, and so on.

One of the most important advantages of the technique is reversibility, that is, the ability to remove equipment at any time. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated, one month after extraction.

Technique of execution

Balloon shunting of the stomach is performed after a person undergoes a complete medical examination. It includes a consultation of a gastroenterologist, a nutritionist. In addition, the patient is assigned various tests, in particular, examination of the motor and enzymatic function of the stomach, as well as the state of its mucosa.

The procedure for installing the gastric balloon is quite simple: the product is placed in the stomach and filled with a colored physiologic solution

In the absence of contraindications, the person is assigned the date of hospitalization. The length of stay in the hospital does not exceed several hours, and the installation of the balloon takes about thirty to forty minutes.

At its core, the procedure resembles fibroesogastroduodenoscopy and involves the receipt of local anesthesia. But some clinics practice giving a general short-term anesthesia, which completely excludes all unpleasant sensations.

Manipulation is carried out in the endoscopy room. The patient can be treated with both intravenous sedation and local anesthesia.

1. The person lies down on his left side. After that, a tube with a collapsed balloon is placed in the stomach cavity. The whole procedure is carried out under the control of a fibrogastroscope - the specialist observes all manipulations on the screen of the monitor.
2. After the balloon is placed in the stomach, it is filled with a colored saline solution in a volume of 500-700 ml. As a dye, methylene blue is used and in case of a breakthrough of the shell, human urine will get a saturated blue color - it can not be missed.
3. After filling the cylinder, the silicon tube is disconnected.

This completes the procedure. In the filled form, the balloon occupies approximately 2/3 of the stomach volume, which contributes to a faster saturation. That's why ballooning is one of the most common methods for losing weight. Due to this, a person begins to eat much less, which leads to a decrease in body weight.

The duration of the balloon is 6 months, then it must be removed. This term is due to the capabilities of silicone, because the material is not able to withstand the constant effect of hydrochloric acid.

The extraction of the balloon is as follows:

• under the visual control of the hysteroscope, the wall is torn;
• the liquid filling it is removed;
• the product itself is extracted.

Recommendations after the procedure

As a result of a feeling of constant filling of the stomach, a person may experience nausea and even pain in the epigastric region. Due to incomplete filling of the balloon, a constant feeling of hunger can occur. In any case, when such a symptom occurs, it is necessary to consult a specialist who performed the procedure of balloon shunting.

Gastric balloon looks like a tight silicone ball

The rule of restriction in the intake of food begins to act immediately after the installation of the balloon. During the first 24 hours only liquid dishes are allowed. Introduction to the diet of solid food should be performed independently in accordance with the schedule drawn up by the doctor in charge.

During the entire period of wearing a gastric balloon, it is necessary to take drugs that reduce the acidity of the gastric juice. The means are selected by the treating doctor. Most often, funds are prescribed containing omeprozole.

Possible complications

Complications of the installation of the gastric balloon is very rare. According to statistics, only 3% of all operated patients develop trouble. The most frequent among all encountered is the intolerance of the balloon.

This condition is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• incessant gastric pain;
• severe heartburn;
• nausea and vomiting.

If there is no effect after taking antispasmodics and antiemetic drugs - if the pathological symptomatology is preserved - an early withdrawal of the balloon is recommended.

Injection into the balloon of methylene blue-colored physiological solution

Against the background of a prolonged finding of the product in the stomach cavity, about 1% of all patients are diagnosed forming ulcers and erosions on the surface of the mucous membrane. In order to prevent the development of such a complication, patients who have undergone balloon shunting of the stomach are required to take daily omeprazole to reduce the acidity of gastric juice.

Spontaneous rupture of the silicone shell or deflation of the balloon occurs in approximately 2% of all cases. The problem announces itself with the following symptoms: development of discomfort in the epigastric region, increased appetite, increase in gastric intake.

An additional sign of the rupture is the coloring of the person's urine in blue or green, which becomes possible as a result of pouring methylene blue out of the product.

To confirm suspicions, a person can be prescribed a procedure of PHD or a radiography of the stomach. In rare cases, the passage of a depressurized balloon into the lumen of the intestine is diagnosed, which causes its obstruction. A person with a similar pathology needs an emergency surgery.

One of the complications of shunting is the lack of weight loss effect. Sometimes a person does not lose weight at all. The situation develops if the patient refuses to observe a low-calorie diet and does not give the body any physical exertion.

Indications for ballooning of the stomach

Balloon shunting of the stomach is practiced as a method of self-management of obesity in patients with a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 30-40 kg / m2, not received the expected result after the appointment of conservative treatment, but not yet in need of surgical intervention.

Potential candidates for staging a gastric balloon are patients whose BMI exceeds 40. They need a weight correction, but the procedure can not be performed because of the high risk of developing side effects. In this case, the use of the intragastric balloon is considered as preparation for the forthcoming gastro-restructuring operation.

Sometimes preliminary weight reduction by ballooning is prescribed to obese patients who will undergo surgery for other pathologies. For example, the removal of a hernia or if necessary arthroplasty of joints.

Another category of patients who can be recommended for installation of an intragastric balloon are people suffering from overcrossing and suffering from severe concomitant cardiovascular pathologies.

As a rule, for carrying out any surgical intervention, they need a significant reduction in weight

Absolute contraindications to the procedure

The technique has a number of contraindications, in the presence of which the formulation of the balloon is impossible. Those are recognized as:

• child age - the patient can not be less than 14 years old;
• period of pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• recently performed surgical interventions on the organs of the abdominal cavity, including gynecological ones;
• presence of inflammatory processes and / or probable sources of bleeding in the digestive tract;
• diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia, narrowing or other anomalies in the structure of the pharynx, esophagus, or stomach;
• the need for regular intake of certain medications, for example, that promote the level of acidity of gastric juice;
• the presence of mental illnesses, alcoholism, drug dependence, etc.

Gastric balloon - a good solution to the problem of excess weight, but the appointment of the technique must be confirmed by its necessity. This is the absence of the effect of conservative therapy. The procedure is possible only after a comprehensive examination of the patient.

Reviews about the procedure of ballooning of the stomach

A fairly significant weight loss without any effort on the part of a losing weight patient after the balloon removal procedure can be accompanied by a repeated set of extra pounds. According to statistics, only a third of all patients try to follow all the recommendations of the treating doctor and are ready to completely change their habitual life.

Preservation of the results of weight loss is possible only if the principles of dietary nutrition and physical activity are observed

It is for this reason that balloon shunting of the stomach has a fairly numerous negative reviews. First of all, it is worth to listen to responses to the methodology of those patients who, even after removing the balloon, could support dietary restrictions and continue to lead a physically active lifestyle.

Cost of setting the cylinder

Obese people in an attempt to lose weight and improve the quality of life, are increasingly stopping the choice on the staging of a gastric balloon. The price of the procedure together with the setting and subsequent removal is quite affordable. The average cost of the installation, together with anesthesia, reaches 50-60 thousand. rub. Extraction of equipment from the stomach will cost about 15 thousand. rub.