Can A Balloon Help People Lose Weight?
As obesity reaches epidemic proportions in the United States, medical scientists have been searching for new, effective and less invasive ways to help people safely shed pounds. A relatively new procedure that involves the placement of a balloon is offering a great deal of hope on this front. Called the Orbera gastric balloon, this procedure is meant to help promote weight loss in those who might not be candidates for more permanent procedures like gastric bypasses or the sleeve gastrectomy. Orbera involves an outpatient procedure that takes roughly about 45 minutes to perform. During this time, the balloon is inserted into the stomach through the mouth and then inflated once in place. The medical-grade balloon is filled with simple saline solution to take up some of the stomach’s holding capacity space. Intended to be fully reversible, the balloon remains in place for about six months and then is removed in the same fashion as it was inserted. Orbera is meant to be performed in c...