What To Expect After Gastric Balloon Insertion: Helpful Tips For Your First Few Months

If you’ve been considering a elipse gastric balloon procedure in Los Angeles, but you’re not sure what to expect, this article is for you. You might be wondering what happens during the procedure, and more importantly, how long recovery will take. Well, in this post, we will give you a rundown of what to expect from a gastric balloon procedure, from the day of the procedure all the way through your recovery. You’ll also get to read tips for making recovery easier after the procedure is done.

Without further ado, let’s get to it!

What to expect from a gastric balloon procedure

The day before a gastric balloon procedure, you’ll have to have an overnight stay in your hospital. This is so that your doctor can do a few tests. Some of these are standard procedures but others may be more specific, depending on your condition.

Some of the tests include:

A barium swallow (to see your esophagus and stomach)
A CAT scan (shows what the balloon is doing in the stomach)
Blood work (tests for glucose levels, amino acids, ketones, cholesterol, etc.)

Other tests (such as a stress test or a chest x-ray) are likely to be recommended if you’re older, have certain conditions such as heart disease or lung disease, are pregnant or have had cancer.

General pre-op considerations

There are a few potential risks that come with gastric balloon insertion. Most of these are considered “low risk,” meaning they’re quite manageable with a relatively short hospital stay. But of course, you won’t know what will happen until you get into the operating room and the balloon is actually inserted.

Here are some of the risks though:

You may have to spend several days in the hospital in order to recover from the balloon insertion procedure, depending on your condition.
You may experience some discomfort or pain after the procedure. This usually subsides after several days.
There is a small risk of swallowing foreign objects or swallowing food that the balloon has passed up your esophagus.

The day of the procedure

Gastric balloon insertion will depend on whether you chose the Orbera balloon or the Obalon balloon. If you chose the Orbera balloon, you will first be asked to drink a mild sedative. A deflated balloon will then be inserted endoscopically into your stomach, then inflated with saline.

If you chose the Obalon balloon, a total of three small 250cc gas-filled balloons will be placed inside you over a period of several weeks. You will be swallowing the balloons via a pill-sized capsule. The doctor will then use an x-ray machine to check if the balloon has been placed properly. If yes, the doctor will inflate the balloon using an attached catheter. The procedure is repeated every two weeks until three balloons are all in place.

Both kinds of balloons are kept in your stomach for six months, then removed after.

What happens after the procedure?

You’ll be living with a balloon or balloons inside you for six months, so how will life be different? Well, aside from the already mentioned discomfort (which you should report to your doctor if the pain is unbearable or doesn’t feel normal), here are some things that you can expect.

You may not feel hungry the first week after the procedure. In fact, you may even feel nauseous with any food you try eating.

The balloons inside you may cause you to feel like you are very bloated. Because of that, you might also think that you haven’t lost any weight, when in fact, weight loss is very significant during your first week with the balloon. and like you haven’t lost any weight when you have.

Your appetite may come back slowly in the second week. Aim to eat three healthy meals each day. But make sure not to consume more than 1200kcal in a day.

However, if you feel any discomfort while eating, stop. This is especially when you feel full. Make sure to always eat slowly and to always chew your food well.

You will find that some foods like pasta and soft breads have a tendency to stick to the balloon. and can cause unpleasant ‘burps’. To avoid this, you should slowly drink a glass of water about thirty minutes after you are done eating. This will rinse the balloon and help prevent the burps caused by food sticking to your balloon.

Around the third to sixth week, your appetite will continue to come back and get stronger. You will also be able to tolerate more kinds of food. Of course, make sure to not eat junk food or anything bad for you. You’re trying to be healthier, remember? And make sure not to eat too fast. Otherwise, you might experience nausea returning, as well as hiccups and acid reflux.

As time passes, around the seventh to twelfth week, you will continue to lose weight. But this time, weight loss will be much slower since your body has gotten used to the balloon. Use this time to start a sustainable exercise routine, something that you can do for the rest of your life.

You’ll be surprised at how fast six months will fly. Soon, the time will come for the balloons to be removed. When the balloons are gone, you have to make sure to keep up the work you started. Otherwise, the procedure will have been for nothing.

Remember to have a good support system.

With any surgery or procedures, you must also consider your emotions. Even if you consider yourself strong and self-reliant, that doesn’t necessarily translate to recovery. You may experience frustration, depression, anxiety, and more. All are totally normal and you should not feel bad in any way. However, having a good support system can make a huge difference. Whether it’s family or friends, knowing that you have people there to help you through the process makes things a little better. Inform the people who love you that you need to have a special diet, or when you feel like you’re not yourself. The more people who can cheer you on, the easier the whole process will feel.

Davytan Medical Weight Loss and Wellness Center: For all your bariatric surgery needs

Looking for a doctor for a gastric balloon insertion or a LapBand surgeon in LA? Look no further than us at Davytan Medical Weight Loss and Wellness Center. There’s no need to Google “gastric balloon California” or any other weight loss procedure you’re interested in. Whatever you’re looking for, we’re offering it.

In this center, we have Lap Band surgery, Gastric Balloon Insertion, Gastric Sleeve procedure, and other options like Gastric Plication, Gastric Bypass, and more. And with the many happy reviews of our patients on our website, you can be sure that you’ll get a procedure – and results – that you’ll be happy with. We not only promote excellence and expertise, but compassion for our patients. More than anything, we will never make you feel bad about wanting to lose weight. We will support you in your journey to a better you.