Bariatric Surgery vs Non-surgical Ways to Shrink Your Stomach
Bariatric Surgery
Historically the only way to lose a significant amount of weight was to undergo some type of bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery consists of a permanent reduction in the size of the stomach sometimes accompanied by the alteration of the digestive system.
Normally, a surgeon uses a scalpel to cut away a large portion of the stomach reducing it down to about a quarter of its original size. The remainder of the stomach is shaped into a small sleeve-like pouch and the ends are stapled together. This results in the patient eating less, feeling full longer, and losing weight.
In addition, many weight-loss surgeries include making changes to the length and connection points of the small intestine which shortens the digestive process and prevents the body from absorbing and storing all the calories that are ingested.
Surgical procedures incur more risk, require hospital stays, and have longer recovery times.
Non-Surgical Weight Loss
The qualifications for bariatric surgery are normally a BMI of at least 40 or a BMI of at least 35 and a weight-related health issue such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure.
What if your BMI does not qualify you for weight loss surgery? Then what? Maybe you have tried but diet and exercise have not been successful in helping you lose weight, or you do not want to undergo bariatric surgery or can’t have surgery for extenuating circumstances. Are there any non-surgical weight loss options that work? The good news is yes, there are!
Shrinking Your Stomach Without Surgery
It may sound too good to be true, but you can lose weight and shrink your stomach without surgery. Medical advancements have made possible both gastric balloon procedures and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. Each of these options uses different techniques but offers significant weight loss potential without a single incision.
Intragastric Balloons for Space-Occupying
Gastric balloons such as the Obera balloon, are used as a place holder in the stomach giving the patient the feeling of being full while also limiting the amount the patient can eat at one time. Gastric balloons are used only temporarily for six months and then removed.
The general idea is that the patient, under the guidance of a support system, follows a dietary and exercise plan for six months that teaches positive lifestyle changes and portion control. If the patient continues practicing what they learned during their time with the balloon, they can maintain their weight loss or continue to lose weight.
Patients who have used the Obera gastric balloon have lost between 10% and 47% of their total body weight in six months. Jaime tells you his experience with the Obera balloon and how much weight he has already lost after just 3 weeks!
How To Shrink Your Stomach Without Surgery? Weight Loss
You can lose weight and shrink your stomach without surgery with our top procedures: Orbera balloon and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.
Endosleeve to Reduce Stomach Without Incisions
Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) is a procedure that is done to make a patient’s stomach smaller similar to the surgical gastric sleeve. Unlike gastric sleeve surgery where the surgeon cuts away a portion of the stomach, there are no incisions made and the stomach remains intact.
The stomach is re-shaped into a small pouch and then stitched in place using about a dozen sutures. As a result, the stomach becomes much smaller (about 75% smaller) and the patient is not able to consume as much food. They are able to lose weight because they do not always feel hungry and learn portion control.
The sutures used during EGS are resilient and can last permanently however, the process can be reversed or adjusted if necessary.
Patients have reported weight loss of as much as 114 pounds after having endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty. The amount of weight loss is directly related to the patient’s dedication to adhering to new lifestyle choices which include diet and exercise.
Listen to Michael tell you about his experience with ESG. The audio is in Spanish but there are subtitles. It is worth listening to as ESG changed his life!
How To Shrink Your Stomach Without Surgery? Weight Loss
You can lose weight and shrink your stomach without surgery with our top procedures: Orbera balloon and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty.
If you are looking for the best non-surgical weight loss option for you, contact IBI Healthcare Institute today and set up a consultation. One of our team of caring experts will answer any questions you may have and will outline all options that may be right for you.
