Are Stomach Balloons The Future Of Weight Loss Surgery?

by

Nigel Smucker

The last three decades have offered the weight loss market a variety ofdifferent surgical methods for fighting obesity gastric bypasses included. Yet despite the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services directive in 2006 which demanded all Cosmetic Centers to have qualified staff and tools, these types of cosmetic surgeries are still life threatening.

Even following recent modifcations wherecomplication rates have dropped by 2.2% from 12.2% of patients to 10%, and the 30 day mortality rate has shrunk from 0.28% to 0.20% (a 0.08% drop) – these enhancements are not enough when you add to the equation the hundreds of thousands of obese individuals who undertake these surgeries …

However, this could soon all be changing if the ReShape Medical of San Clementes double balloon is approved by the FDA.

Structured to help obese patients who are just below or above the required guidelines for gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric band placements procedures, or who are considered to be too young (under18); the double-balloon mechanism could easily support this excluded niche.

How does it work?

As it stands, the dual action balloon mechanism is inserted down a slimmer\’s throat using an attached tube before being inflated with saline. As these 2 oval sections are pumped, slimmer\’s will soon will feel full and will begin to lose weight.

More excitingly, once dietersreach their target weight loss, this device can easily by deflated and removed from the stomach without risk.

At the moment, this dual action balloon is scheduled to undergo its first clinical trial at the start of May where 30 volunteers across 3 centers will be equipped with the balloon. Should it work, this research will be expanded to 350 consumers across 10 cosmetic surgeris and eventually will be shown to the FDA for permission to be used.

Does it work?

It is undeniable that this device could essentially help hundreds of thousands of obese patients who are either too young for gastric bypasses or suffer from diabetes, heart disease and severe joint problems to lose those excess lbs, but this dual action balloon has got a long way to go before it is approved.

Back in 1984 a similar single balloon mechanism was produced by Garren-Edwards and was implanted into patients. However, with no backup membrane to protect it, this mechanism was prone to bursting and slipping into the small intestine where it caused serious blockages. As a result this product was quickly withdrawn the market.

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