Gastric balloons are devices used to aid weight loss. In general, they are silicone products that are placed inside the stomach and filled with liquid or sometimes air. By placing such a water ball in the stomach, it is aimed to occupy space in the stomach and to provide satiation earlier. Patient compliance is very important in this method. When it is not supported by diet and exercise, it is inevitable to achieve unsuccessful results in the name of weight loss.
The procedure is generally performed endoscopically while the patient is under sedation. After checking the inner surface of the stomach with endoscopy, if there is no obstacle to the placement of the balloon, the balloon is delivered to the stomach through the mouth and filled with liquid through the channel at the end of the balloon. When sufficient fullness is reached, the balloon is separated from its channel extending outwards and left inside.
Some of the gastric balloons can stay in the stomach for 6 months, while others can stay for 1 year. In 1-year balloons, if deemed necessary according to the patient’s weight loss, the effect on weight loss can be increased by adding liquid to the balloon volume after 3 or 6 months. The biggest advantage of the gastric balloon can be counted as the absence of any surgical process and being a day-to-day procedure, while the disadvantage is that it is a temporary method and the result is very patient-dependent.
