The smart balloon – the ingestible balloon in Türkiye
What is a smart balloon – ingestible?
To obtain a gastric balloon traditionally, the gastric balloon must be placed and removed after a period of time through an endoscopic medical procedure, which requires local anesthesia. While the smart balloon is a gastric balloon that is swallowed and excreted naturally after months. The smart balloon is usually placed in the doctor’s office.
How does the balloon help in losing weight?
The smart balloon helps obese patients lose weight without surgery . Researchers have found that obese patients who used a swallowable gastric balloon lost an average of about 15kg over a four-month period.
Treatment of obesity through the “traditional balloon” involves inserting a balloon into the stomach and filling it with air or liquid. This means that the patient cannot or will not need to eat a lot of food to feel full. Usually, deflated stomach balloons must be inserted and removed later in the hospital. This includes sedation or general anesthesia and an endoscopy procedure where a thin tube with a camera and light is passed down the throat to complete the procedure.
The smart balloon can be used without any invasive procedures such as endoscopy. The balloon is swallowed by the patient and then filled with liquid once it enters the stomach. The balloon remains in the stomach for about four months until it is automatically deflated and removed.
Studies have found that the ingestible balloon is a safe procedure that leads to weight loss in obese patients. This is when used in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet.
How was the ingestible balloon discovered?
A number of researchers conducted several researches to develop non-surgical obesity treatments, including the gastric balloon. The smart balloon has proven to be effective in weight loss as well as being a non-invasive medical procedure.
It turns out that when used in combination with a low-calorie diet, it can make it easier to stick to a strict diet as it makes the patient feel full.
The researchers studied 38 obese patients (28 men and 10 women) for 16 weeks after the smart balloon was inserted. The average age of the participants was 46, their average starting weight was 110 kg, and they had a BMI of 39.
Most of the people selected for the study experienced weight loss through diet alone and refused other treatments that included gastric balloons because of the need for anesthesia and an endoscopy.
Participants preferred to swallow the smart gastric balloon, which is packed inside a pill-sized capsule attached to a thin tube. The capsule disintegrates when in the stomach, then the balloon is filled with 550ml of liquid.
The thin tube is then separated and the balloon remains in the stomach. After four months, the balloon’s release valve opens automatically, emptying the fluid and then the balloon is ejected.
For the first 12 weeks of treatment, the patients were given a very low-calorie diet. Follow-up was done every two weeks. At the end of the 16th week, the balloon was removed and the participants were asked to follow a Mediterranean diet to maintain weight loss.
The smart balloon proved its efficiency in practice, and the results of the study were as follows:
- In the fourth week: the average weight loss was 5.4 kg
- Eighth week: average weight loss of 8.9 kg
- In the twelfth week: the average weight loss is 11.5 kg
- In the sixteenth week: the average weight loss is 15.2 kg
Although weight loss generally slows in the first 12 weeks, the rate of weight loss begins to slow towards the end of the first 12 weeks. Then it increased again when the patients followed a reduced-calorie diet to increase weight loss.
Stages of obtaining a smart balloon:
- The balloon capsule, which is about the size of a pill, is swallowed
- The capsule disintegrates inside the stomach
- The doctor fills the balloon with 550ml of liquid
Is it easy to swallow a smart balloon?
Most people can swallow the balloon without problems. Where doctors and consultants help people who have difficulty swallowing so that the balloon is guided into place without endoscopy or anesthesia.
How long does it take to return to normal activities after swallowing a balloon?
Most people can return to normal activity within a day or two, but some people experience nausea, abdominal cramping, and sometimes vomiting after balloon placement. In most cases, these symptoms can be controlled with standard medications prescribed by your doctor.
Remove the ingestible balloon
The release valve (time-activated) of the smart balloon opens after about 16 weeks in the stomach, allowing it to deflate and pass normally through the digestive tract without the need for removal.
* In rare cases, the gastric balloon may require endoscopic or surgical intervention to remove it. You should talk to the doctor to find out if the smart balloon is suitable or not.
Treatment advantages?
- The smart balloon gets the approval of most patients
- It provides a good opportunity to lose weight without any invasive surgery or anesthesia
- The ability to successfully swallow, fill and remove the balloon without problems
- There have been no prior reports of serious adverse events.
- Its side effects include nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain that go away on their own or with medication.
How do I get a smart balloon in Türkiye?
First – you must contact the specialized hospital
Second – Obtaining a “online” telemedicine consultation to determine if you are a candidate for a balloon.
Third – Make an appointment with the hospital to get the smart balloon
Fourth – adherence to medical instructions until the date of the balloon procedure
And due to the many types of balloons and the multiplicity of procedures in Türkiye. You can contact “REHABTÜRK” medical institution to provide comprehensive and detailed information. And to provide you with the necessary medical service within the best health conditions and at the best prices.
How can I book for the smart balloon – ingestible balloon in Türkiye?
- Free medical support on the phone: You will have a dedicated representative for your health condition who is always ready to answer your questions.
- Free consultation with a specialist doctor: Your medical representative will consult with a number of doctors and hospitals to find the best possible treatments.
- Free travel visa arrangement: We will contact the embassy in your country to assist you in obtaining a visa to visit Türkiye.
- Free itinerary planning: We will create a schedule for your medical trip to Türkiye.
- Free translation of documents and reports: We will translate medical documents and reports into Turkish on your behalf.
- Free support and monitoring: We will monitor the stages of treatment and be by your side every step of the way.
- Free instant translation: We will be with you during the treatment stages to provide translation between you and the medical team.
- Free accommodation and transportation coordination: We will book accommodation for you and your companions in Türkiye, along with transportation services.
Contact REHABTÜRK doctors for more information about the procedure and to evaluate your medical condition.
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