Stomach Balloons

Could Stomach Balloons Offer Safer Weight Loss Surgery?

The last three decades have presented a variety of different surgical methods for preventing obesity gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric band placements included. However despite the 2006 directive which enforced the regulations that all Centres to have qualified staff and tools, these methods of cosmetic procedures are still incredibly risky.

Even considering recent modifications where complication rates have fallen from 12.2% of patients to 10%, and the 30 day mortality rate have reduced from 0.28% to 0.20% – these enhancements are miniscule when you factor in the hundreds of thousands of obese individuals who undergo these procedures …

Yet, this could soon be changing if the ReShape Medical of San Clemente’s dual balloon design which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Created to help obese patients who are either side of eligibility settings for gastric bypass and band procedures, or who are too young for such intensive surgeries; the double-balloon mechanism could easily aid this ignored niche.

How does it work?

In its current condition, the dual action balloon mechanism is inserted down a slimmer’s throat using an attached tube before being filled with saline. As these 2 balloons are filled, slimmer’s will begin to feel full and decrease their appetite and lose weight and, once dieters attain their target weight loss, this double balloon device can easily be removed without surgery.

Currently, this dual action balloon is planned to perform its first medical trial at the beginning of spring where 30 volunteers across 3 centers will be equipped with this balloon mechanism. Should it work, this research will be applied to three hundred and fifty patients across 10 medical centres and eventually will be to the FDA for permission to be used.

Is it dangerous?

It is undeniable that this double balloon mechanism could essentially help hundreds of thousands of consumers who are either too young for gastric bypasses or suffer from diabetes, coronary heart disease and muscle problems to lose weight, but this double balloon system has got far to travel before it is recommended.

In 1984 a similar single balloon system was created by Garren-Edwards and was implanted into patients. However, with no backup membrane to prevent leakages, this device was prone to bursting and entering into the small intestine where it produced dangerous blockages. Consequently, this device was quickly withdrawn from the market.