Gastric balloon pill

Slimming and weight loss operations are of the most popular operations for different types of people, and for various purposes, some are only for beauty, and others are healthy and necessary. Regarding the fears of some people of the idea of entering the operating rooms and lying between the hands of doctors and surgeons, therefore, new methods were created to facilitate the process of reducing weight, including the so-called gastric balloon pill, Slimming capsule or smart capsule, which is a capsule attached to the tube swallowed by the patient until the arrival of the stomach, and then the doctor inflates it with air, so it takes space in the stomach which reduces the amount of food you can eat, leading to weight loss during its existence inside the stomach.

One of the advantages of the gastric pill is that it dissolves after 4 to 6 months and is eliminated through the stool, therefore it is safe and does not cause permanent problems for the patient.

(To be updated soon, God willing)

The gastric balloon pill may be suitable for some people only, in the following cases:

• People who have BMI between 27 and 40.
• Patients who cannot undergo surgery due to some health problems, such as kidney failure or cirrhosis and other diseases.

It should be noted that people who have previously undergone weight-loss surgeries, such as sleeve gastrectomy or traditional/ mini gastric bypass are not eligible to experience the gastric balloon pill, as well as pregnant and lactating women and children before adulthood.

Although gastric balloon pill is considered to be very safe, some possible side effects are underneath, such as:

• Nausea and the desire to vomit -sometimes- are the most common side effects.
• Feeling heavier in the abdomen.
• Abdominal pain.
• Bloating.
• Gastroesophageal Reflux (GERD).
• Indigestion.

No recovery period is needed after the gastric balloon pill, patients may feel uncomfortable within a few days, symptoms improved within 1 to 2 weeks gradually until the stomach adapted to the balloon existence. Patients usually can resumes their normal activities on the same day or within 3 days, according to the patients' case.

The insertion of the gastric balloon through a swallowable capsule depends on the following simple steps:

1. The patient swallows a small capsule connected to a long tube and may use a sip of water to facilitate its entry and access to the stomach.
2. The specialist checks the arrival of the capsule for the stomach and its stability in a proper place through x-rays.
3. Filling the capsule through the tube.
4. Pulling out the tube through the mouth.

Gastric balloon pill takes approximately 10 minutes.

(To be added soon, God willing)

(To be added soon, God willing)

(To be added soon, God willing)

(To be added soon, God willing)

• Gastric balloon
• Sleeve gastrectomy
• Gastric banding

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Last updated on 30 August 2021

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1. Raftopoulos I. and Giannakou A. 2017. The Elipse balloon, a swallowable gastric balloon for weight loss not requiring sedation, anesthesia or endoscopy: a pilot study with 12-month outcomes. Surg Obes Relat Dis, 13(7): 1174-1182. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28372952/ 
2. Quinlan JA. 2019. The gastric balloon pill- A guide for non-surgical weight loss. Retrieved from https://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/gastric-balloon-pill.html#removal 
3. Doheny K. 2019. Weight loss options grow. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20190605/balloons-pills-sleeves-weight-loss-options-grow 
4. 11 Things you need to know about a gastric balloon. 2014. Retrieved from https://www.ramsayhealth.co.uk/blog/weight-loss-surgery/11-things-you-need-to-know-about-a-gastric-balloon 
5. Gastric balloon: non-surgical weight loss procedure. Retrieved from https://bmiclinic.com.au/intragastric-balloon/