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The Orbera gastric balloon is one of the newest techniques in the world of weight loss surgery. That said, it is not really surgery, as it is a non-surgical procedure. In actual fact, the Orbera gastric balloon is a system, one that comes in two parts. Put together, the two parts will enable people to not just lose weight, but maintain it as well. The first part is the insertion of the gastric balloon, which is done endoscopically. The second part is about learning to adopt a healthy lifestyle, including a nutritious diet and sufficient exercise. Recent research has shown that this system is three times more effective than lose weight solely through diet and exercise.
A Non-Surgical Procedure
The balloon, in its deflated state, is inserted into the stomach through the mouth. This means there will be no incisions or stitches, no complications, and no scars. Once in place, it is filled using a sterile saline solution. Once filled completely, it moves freely around the stomach and is approximately the size of a grapefruit. This should take up around 75% of the available space in the stomach.
Part 1 – The Balloon
The Orbera balloon itself is FDA approved and classed as the best of its kind in the world. Some 220,000 people have already benefited from it. By having the balloon in place, people are better able to control what they eat, and they have six months to make those lifestyle changes permanent.
Part 2 – Weight Loss Support
Orbera is more than a simple balloon. Rather, it is an entire program that teaches you to change completely, both physically and mentally. You have to have a healthy, appropriate mindset in order to achieve your goals and maintain them as well. This is done through the supportive team you will have on your side after fitting the Orbera, which includes an exercise psychologist, psychologist, and dietician.
Why Does it Work?
How can you lose weight through the help of a gastric balloon? The strength of the Orbera is that it is a 12 month program that helps you to lose weight and to change your lifestyle. During the six months that the balloon is in place, you will learn about portion control and start to lose weight. Because, for six months, you will have no choice but to eat small portions, it will start to become part of your lifestyle. But once the balloon is removed, your support team will continue to motivate you to stick to your healthy eating and exercise plan. This means that you have a further six months to make healthy eating and living part of your daily routine.
The Orbera balloon has had tremendous successes, enabling people to lose between nine and 14 kg in just six months. Some have used it to kick start their weight loss before having full gastric surgery, but others have used it as a standalone technique to ensure they can reach their target weight. Overall, the outlook is very good, with most people being able to either lose more or maintain their new weight.