What is the Intragastric Balloon System?
The intragastric balloon system is a minimally invasive medical weight loss program for people with obesity. It combines long-term diet and lifestyle changes with a short-term medical implant. The implant is an inflatable balloon (“intragastric” stands for “intragastric”) that a healthcare provider non-surgically places inside your stomach. It works by taking up space, making you feel full and restricting how much you can eat.
Why is this treatment needed?
When you have obesity, your body changes in ways that make it increasingly difficult to lose weight with diet and exercise alone. One of these changes is that the volume of your stomach expands over time. As your stomach expands, it holds more food and takes longer to feel full, which causes you to eat more. This is why all medical weight loss procedures restrict the capacity of your stomach in some way.
The intragastric balloon offers an important alternative to other available procedures. First, it is the only procedure designed to be non-permanent. Second, it does not require surgery to insert it. Nor does it require general anesthesia. This makes it a suitable option for people who do not meet the qualifications for bariatric surgery or who are looking for less commitment.
Who is Intragastric Balloon Treatment for?
The intragastric balloon is currently offered to people with a BMI of at least 30 and who have passed health screening for the procedure. People with class III obesity who are eligible for bariatric surgery may opt for the balloon because of its relatively low risks. People whose obesity makes surgery unsafe for them can use the balloon as a bridge procedure to lose enough weight to qualify for surgery.
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