Food incontinence: spray into the stomach!

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Gastric ballooning is a technically simple, non-surgical, non-drug treatment for obesity. An inflatable balloon, a biocompatible silicone ball with a valve, is inserted into the gastric cavity using an endoscope—a fiber-optic probe with a microvideo camera. It is filled with sterile saline solution (standard volume - 500 ml).

A filled intragastric (intragastric) balloon occupies the internal volume of the stomach and leaves less space for food (about 100 ml). Already after a small portion eaten, the brain receives a signal of satiety. The amount of calories consumed is reduced to the lower physiological norm. The procedure is reversible - after achieving the treatment goals, the balloon is removed (to prevent wear of the walls under the influence of gastric juice - after 6 months). If necessary, 2 months after removing the old balloon, a new one can be installed.

Benefits of Gastric Ballooning

• It is performed without incisions - through the mouth and esophagus.
• Does not disrupt the physiology of the digestive tract and does not reduce the absorption of nutrients.
• Allows you to avoid relatively more severe bariatric surgeries, such as gastric suturing.
• The result of the procedure is based on natural reflex reactions and therefore does not require volitional efforts on the part of the patient.
• Aimed at normalizing eating behavior - a person gets used to eating in small portions.
• It is not accompanied by anesthetic and surgical risks.
• May be prescribed to patients with contraindications to bariatric surgery.

The disadvantage of this method is that ballooning may be less effective for weight loss compared to bariatric surgery.

Multifunctional gastric spray: do you need it?

The procedure for inserting a balloon into the stomach is unpleasant, so it is performed under general anesthesia. The balloon is inserted into the lumen of the stomach through the esophagus. Water with methylene blue is pumped into the device using a syringe and catheter to control leaks, then the catheter is removed and the patient is transferred to the ward.

In the first two to three days, nausea and vomiting may occur. The body gradually gets used to the foreign body, and the unpleasant phenomena disappear. The use of antiemetic drugs makes the adaptation period smoother.

The result of the procedure meets all expectations:

• patients quickly lose weight, losing 15-40 kg or more;
• over half of excess weight disappears;
• diet tolerance improves, which makes it possible to further reduce the degree of obesity;
• neuroses associated with the psychological aspect of food incontinence disappear;
• the general condition of the body improves significantly.

With the help of this technique, it is possible to restore health, beauty and slimness even to those people who are desperate to overcome food incontinence and get rid of excess weight. However, doctors do not recommend it to everyone.

Fast weight loss

This technique is suitable if:

• There is a strong desire to have a slim figure without surgery, but the patient cannot cope with his eating habits. The introduction of a balloon allows you to cure obesity without the application of gastric bypasses and rings, which cause irreversible changes in the body.
• A body mass index (BMI) of 30-40 is combined with the ineffectiveness of diets, exercises and medications. It is not advisable for such people to undergo surgery (for surgery, the BMI must be over 40), and they need to lose weight. Inserting a balloon in this case is the optimal method of combating obesity.
• The doctor diagnosed a combination of excess weight associated with food incontinence and concomitant severe diseases requiring surgical intervention - joints, heart, blood vessels or internal organs. For such people, at the first stage of treatment, a balloon is inserted, and when the patient loses weight, operations are performed.

In the surgical departments of good Aesthetic Medicine clinics, similar procedures for installing a balloon into the stomach have been carried out for many years. As practice shows, they are really effective, so doctors recommend them to patients who are unable to overcome their addiction to food on their own. If you have such a problem, try it! The procedure has a minimum of contraindications; you can find out more about it from your doctor.

Contraindications

• BMI ≤ 30.
• Anatomical restrictions due to previous operations.
• Acute gastrointestinal pathologies - esophagitis, ulcers, Crohn's disease, oncology.
• High risk of gastric bleeding - varicose veins of the esophagus or stomach, telangiectasia, stenosis, etc.
• Hiatal hernia.
• Diverticula and strictures of the esophagus and pharynx.
• Severe diseases of the kidneys, liver, lungs.
• Contraindications to gastroscopy.
• Alcoholism, drug addiction, mental disorders.
• Low discipline.
• Taking anticoagulants or steroids.
• Pregnancy and lactation.
• Age up to 18 years.

How does the procedure work?

The procedure can be performed without anesthesia, but in order to eliminate the patient’s emotional experiences, he is put into a medicated sleep. The balloon is placed under the control of a microvideo camera, which is inserted into the stomach through the esophagus. Medical pigment is added to the saline solution for timely control of leaks. The solution is injected with a syringe through a probe. When the required volume is reached, the valve is closed and the probe is removed. The duration of the procedure is up to 30 minutes.

If you notice that the urine has turned blue, then inform your doctor, he will make a correction. This situation does not pose any danger.

Intragastric balloon placement

SUMMARY:

• For 14 days you will need to adhere to a specific diet
• The effectiveness of the procedure will depend on compliance with nutritional recommendations
• Installation of an intragastric balloon will facilitate modification of diet and lifestyle
• The intragastric balloon is removed 6 months after its installation

After insertion of the intragastric balloon:

• You will experience an early feeling of “fullness”, which will help reduce the amount of food consumed
• Avoid foods that may stick to the balloon, such as pasta, which may cause vomiting. It is also recommended to take enough liquid after meals.
• Joining the community of bariatric patients has a significant impact on the outcome of the procedure (link to group vk.com/bariatricx)

Your diet for 14 days after surgery

Changing your diet and lifestyle is the most important factor in the long-term results of the procedure. The intragastric balloon serves as a “trigger factor” for changes in diet and lifestyle. After removal of the balloon, you will need to follow the established regimen to prevent weight gain again.

A team of specialists including a surgeon, nutritionist and personal trainer will help you achieve long-term success.

Here's what your diet will look like for the first 14 days after surgery:

IMPORTANT: After removal of the balloon, it is mandatory to discuss the issue of performing another type of bariatric surgery that provides long-term results in terms of weight loss and regression of obesity-related diseases.

Training: 2.5 hours per week, divided into 2-4 days

Physical exercise ensures long-term results. It has been proven that:

• Regular exercise provides greater weight loss and longer-term results
• There is an improvement in psychological well-being

How often should you exercise?

• Studies have shown that 2.5 hours of physical activity per week after LVSH contributes to a 5.7% greater reduction in excess body weight. It is advisable to study at the same time during the week. This way you will ensure regular training.
• It is advisable to distribute 2.5 hours over 3 - 4 days a week (30 -45 minutes per day). This will make training less tiring and at the same time allow you to develop endurance.

Types of exercises

It is necessary to introduce 3 types of exercises into your workout:

• Endurance exercises - walking, cycling and especially swimming
• Stretching exercises. We recommend trying yoga classes as they include proper breathing techniques and bodyweight exercises for strength.
• Strength exercises - exercises on machines, with free weights and yoga

You can find out more about physical activity after surgery here.

A new way of thinking and getting rid of food addiction

Food addiction

Our body is capable of producing certain hormones that cause hunger. Junk foods can alter hormonal signals, overstimulating your hunger center. The reaction to unhealthy food is similar to the body's reaction to taking drugs.

If food cravings are more important to you than:

• Personal health
• Family
• Friends
• Job
• Your appearance
• Health problems caused by obesity (diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea)

…then most likely you are suffering from a food addiction.

Food addiction can lead to the development of obesity. If food addiction is not addressed after surgery, it can also lead to weight regain. If you think that you have a food addiction, seek advice from a psychologist - only working together with a specialist will help you cope with the problem of food addiction.

Relationships after weight loss

The issue of changes in relationships after weight loss surgery is often overlooked by both patients and physicians. It is important to note that these changes can be both positive and negative, depending on the situation.

On the one hand, you will look and feel better after surgery. People you don't even know will treat you with more respect. They will look up to you. You will become physically attractive, sexy.

On the other hand , post-surgery patients are acutely aware of discrimination against people who are overweight, which can make them question whether this person could have treated me the same way if I hadn't lost weight. How can I fight obesity discrimination now that I'm on the other side of the fence?

In addition, people you have known for a long time may also change their attitude towards you. Could this make it awkward to interact with friends and family? Could your spouse or partner become more jealous?

If you have already dealt with the problem of relationships after surgery, help those who are yet to do so, tell your story here, share your experience with those who really need it.

You can discuss these and many other questions with our specialists.

Recovery period

If the patient wishes, he can leave the clinic after 2 hours. However, it is recommended to spend the first night in the clinic. To stop attacks of nausea and vomiting, the patient is administered antiemetic drugs.

In the first 3-4 days there may be a feeling of discomfort, then the body adapts and it goes away. During this time, semi-liquid pureed food is recommended. You need to eat and drink slowly, using teaspoons. Intense physical activity should be avoided during the day. You can return to normal training in a week.

After gastric ballooning, split meals are recommended at least 5 times a day. High-calorie foods are excluded from the menu. The diet is based on lean meat and fish, vegetables, whole grain cereals, vegetable oils, fruits, and dairy products.

The diet can be normal, but the best results are achieved with a caloric intake of up to 1500 kcal per day: with a normal diet, the average weight loss over six months is up to 10 kg, with a limited diet - up to 20. It is recommended to regularly consult a nutritionist.

Intragastric balloon - reviews

The balloon was installed in October 2012. Today is May 2013. To date I have lost 25 kg. Indeed, if you do not continue your diet, there will be no effect. If you normalize it and try not to eat anything unnecessary (especially high-calorie foods), then there is an effect. Having a balloon is more psychological for me. Although if you overdo it in food, heaviness in the stomach clearly reminds you of it. The trouble is that there are a LOT of temptations around us; all these pies, hamburgers, sprites, etc. are very “tasty” and very affordable, that’s why we eat them. I personally just streamlined and simplified my diet. In the morning, breakfast has been the usual for me for many years (tea and a sandwich), lunch in the catering canteen first, second and “compote” (I had to give up compote due to a side effect, more about it below). Dinner at home - second course and tea. Due to the fact that I go to bed late (usually about 12 o’clock), at about 9 I allow myself another tea with a minimum of snacks (cheese or sausage without bread). In between, no snacks, drinking tea with cookies or the like, excluded all kinds of fast food and carbonated drinks. I only allow tea or coffee with sugar but no sweets or anything else. Yes, perhaps if I had eaten the same way, I would have lost the same weight before and not gained weight. But alas, it didn’t work out. The balloon gave impetus to the process of losing weight. I SAW A REAL EFFECT. When you see your weight decrease on the scale every morning, you get excited. Now about my condition. The first day at home (after anesthesia and other things) when I was leaving. It was very unpleasant; I really don’t know whether it’s from the balloon or the anesthesia, I can’t judge. I suffered from heartburn for two days, but after starting to take motilium and omeprazole (as directed by the doctor), the heartburn went away. I took the drugs for a couple of months, then the heartburn stopped, then I coped with them a couple of times. The first months the effect is huge minus 2-3 kg per month, then a decrease of 200 g per day is an average phenomenon. New Year's holidays and a vacation trip (accordingly, a change in the usual rhythm of eating) passed without losing weight, but also without gaining it. As of today -200 gr. normal result. There are breakdowns, for example, I ate a lot of salted fish and drank a lot of water in the evening as a result of +400g. After such days, I tighten my diet a little, cutting it down a little. The weight loss effect is returning. Sometimes I do fasting days like Tea with biscuits 3 times a day and that’s it. The effect can be up to 1 kg per day. Another side effect has appeared - when drinking juices, kampots, fruits, sometimes an unpleasant belching occurs, as if something is fermenting in the stomach. It is inconvenient in front of others and when measured on a breathalyzer it gives about.3 ppm, which can cause trouble when communicating with the traffic police. True, I have not yet communicated with the traffic police in this state. I try to unload at the same time and not consume the above products again (except in the evening at home). That's probably all I can say from my own experience. I’ll probably wear the balloon until September (either the doctors are on vacation or the men are on vacation, so I’ll wait). Perhaps the worst thing will begin after its removal. If you return to improper and irrational nutrition later, the weight will creep up again. I want to hope that I can maintain my eating style, then we’ll see. Apart from the above-mentioned inconveniences, I didn’t experience any more, I lived as I lived, home, work, rest. I didn’t do any special physical activity (although I did AT ALL), sometimes I used an exercise bike, housework, and helping raise my granddaughter. That's probably all. I repeat once again - when every day you see the EFFECT of the balloon and your regime in the form of the kilograms going away, when you buy new jeans (because it’s simply embarrassing and uncomfortable to wear the old ones), you get excited - and maybe you can still lose them.