3
Gastric balloons
Surgeons use a catheter to insert
a gastric balloon into the stom-
ach endoscopically, fill the balloon with
saline solution and remove the
catheter. The filled balloon serves as a
space-occupying device that forces
patients to practice better portion con-
trol during meals. Implanted balloons
are removed after 6 months, so they
offer temporary therapy to a chronic disease for individuals with mild
obesity who have been unsuccessful with medical management alone.
Ultimately, the procedure lets patients with lower BMIs achieve modest
weight-loss goals in the 30- to 40-pound range.
Gastric balloons provide weight-loss help for patients who aren't
getting good results with medical therapy or lifestyle changes, but
who also aren't interested in undergoing more invasive stomach-
altering surgery. The bottom line is that intragastric balloons help
to fill the treatment gap between medication and surgery, and this
option appeals to many patients who aren't ready for more invasive
treatments.
4
Endoscopic gastric plication
This approach involves using an endoscopic suturing device
that resembles a sewing machine to create several folds in the
stomach. The result, which is somewhat similar to the surgical anato-
my created with sleeve gastrectomy, limits the amount of food
patients can eat comfortably. The suturing devices developed several
years ago for this purpose weren't robust enough and the sutures
placed to create the stomach folds simply didn't hold, which made the
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Gastric balloons
