Myths and Facts About Gastric Balloons

Gastric balloons 一 often referred to as intragastric balloons 一 are FDA-approved, nonsurgical weight loss treatments. Gastric balloons don’t require any surgery, incisions, or removal of any part of your stomach, and that’s part of the allure of gastric balloons.

Unfortunately, as gastric balloons grow in popularity, so do the myths. That’s why Eric Ibegbu, MD, and our team at Atlantic Medical Group are here to debunk some of the myths about gastric balloons.

Myth 1: Inserting gastric balloons requires invasive surgery

Fact: Gastric balloons don’t require any surgery. Depending on which type of gastric balloon you choose, the insertion process may vary, but none involve incisions or removal of any part of your stomach. You may simply just have to swallow a special capsule.

That’s the case for Oblaon®, a system that uses a swallowable balloon system.

Gastric balloons can also be placed endoscopically through a special tube. In the case of ORBERA®, Dr. Ibegbu places the balloon into your stomach in a quick in-office procedure. Once the gastric balloon is in place, he fills it with sterile saline until it’s inflated to the appropriate size.

Myth 2: Gastric balloons remain in place forever

Fact: Gastric balloons are reversible and don’t remain in place forever. Gastric balloons are designed to help you lose weight through portion control. Because the balloon takes up space in your stomach, it limits the amount of food you consume during your meals.

This helps you learn lifelong habits such as identifying the appropriate portion sizes and focusing on healthy, balanced meals. The goal is to learn to listen to your body’s satiety cues even after the balloon is removed.

Myth 3: Gastric balloons are hard to remove

Fact: Gastric balloons aren’t hard to remove. For example, Orbera balloon removal takes just 20 minutes with endoscopic equipment. A mild sedative keeps you relaxed, but you can remain awake throughout the entire removal.

First, Dr. Ibegbu removes the saline solution from the gastric balloon. Once the balloon is deflated, he removes it via the endoscope through your mouth. No cutting, injections, or incisions required.

Myth 4: You need to eat a liquid-only diet

Fact: You don’t need to follow a liquid-only diet, but focus on high-quality, nutrient-dense foods. You never have to guess which nutrients you need, though. Dr. Ibegbu, in partnership with Xyngular, provides the nutritional supplements that you need on your weight loss journey.

Myth 5: Gastric balloons work as well as diet and exercise

Fact: While diet and exercise are the foundations of weight loss, gastric balloons can take your weight loss results to the next level.

The Orbera balloon, for instance, can help you shed up to three times as many pounds compared to diet and exercise alone. Each balloon works slightly differently, but on average, you can lose up to 15% of your total body weight in the first six months with a total overall weight loss average of up to 47%.

Dr. Ibegbu helps you reach your goals by also providing dietary and lifestyle guidance.

Myth 6: There’s only one type of gastric balloon

Fact: There are many different types of gastric balloons. They vary by how they’re placed, how long they remain in place, and what they are made of. Here at Atlantic Medical Group, we offer many different types of gastric balloons including:

The Spatz3® adjustable balloon system
Obalon, the swallowable balloon
ORBERA, a silicone-based system that stays in place for six months

To learn more about gastric balloons and find out which one is right for you, contact us at the location of your choice 一 Kinston or Jacksonville, North Carolina 一 and schedule your weight loss consultation today.