The Gastric Balloon is a non-surgical procedure available for weight loss in many countries. While gastric balloon procedures generally cost less than other weight loss procedures, the FDA has not approved of the procedure in the United States. The balloon is effective in temporarily reducing hunger, controlling food intake, initiating behavioral (lifestyle) change, and achieving target weight loss of 10 to 25kg. This procdure is also called Toga (for transoral gastroplasty)

What is the gastric balloon?
The gastric balloon is a soft, silicone balloon that is inserted into the stomach and filled with sterile saline (salt water). When the balloon is filled (inflated) it stretches the stomach wall producing a feeling of satiety – or flack of hunger.. Additionally, because the gastric balloon fills a significant portion of the stomach, patients use smaller portion sizes, which means fewer calories!

How is the balloon implanted?
Placement of the balloon takes approximately 20-to-30 minutes to perform by a team of qualified gastroenterologists. Because the balloon is inserted and removed in a day clinic and does not involve surgery, it is considered to be a minimally invasive procedure.

The doctor passes a special endoscope (camera) through the mouth, down the gullet and directly into the stomach. This is done to ensure no abnormalities are present and it is safe to insert the gastric balloon. Once the physician has determined everything is okay, he or she will pass the deflated gastric balloon into the stomach. To ease discomfort, the doctor might offer a local anesthetic to numb the throat to make it easier to swallow. In some cases, muscle relaxants are also used to sooth throat muscles.

Once the gastric balloon is inside the stomach, it is immediately filled with sterile saline through a small filling tube (catheter) attached to the balloon. Once filled, the doctor removes the catheter by gently pulling on the external end. The balloon has a self-sealing valve and at this point it is floating freely in the stomach. Physicians also add a specially made green dye so that in the event of the balloon leaks or ruptures, the patient’s urine will change color, thereby alerting them to visit the doctor.

Because there is no general anesthesia involved in this weight loss procedure, the patient is observed for a short time, he or she is free to leave the hospital in one or two hours.