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Obesity affects every aspect of your life — health, relationships, activities, job opportunities, wardrobe, and more. You’ve tried to lose weight, but nothing seems to work.
We understand, and we can help.
If your body mass index is 30 or higher; exercise, diet, and other lifestyle changes haven’t made a difference on the scale; and you’re experiencing serious weight-related health problems, it may be time to consider your bariatric surgery options. At New Life Medical in Bakersfield, California, Dr. Nirav Naik and our team offer several surgical weight-loss procedures.
Here, Dr. Naik takes a closer look at the Orbera® gastric balloon procedure to help you decide if it might be right for you.
If you and Dr. Naik decide you need next-level weight loss help, you have several surgical options. Each has the same goal — to reduce the amount of food your stomach can hold — but they go about it differently.
This surgical procedure reroutes your digestive tract. Dr. Naik creates a small pouch out of your stomach tissue and connects it directly to your small intestine. This forces food to bypass most of your stomach and the upper section of your small intestine.
Gastrectomy involves the removal of part of your stomach. The remaining portion is long and slender like the shape of a sleeve, hence the name.
The New Life Lap Band procedure places a band around your stomach to compartmentalize it. It reduces the capacity so you can’t eat as much. The band can stay in place long term, but it’s removable at any time.
Another way to reduce the space in your stomach is to fill it with something else — in this case, a balloon. This is a minor in-office procedure where Dr. Naik inserts a deflated balloon through your mouth and into your stomach. He then fills the balloon with a sterile saline solution until it’s about the size of a grapefruit.
All of these procedures are highly effective at treating obesity, but they each have pros and cons, which can make it difficult to decide which is right for you. Fortunately, Dr. Naik helps you navigate your bariatric procedure options. Here are some reasons to consider the Orbera gastric balloon.
As with all bariatric procedures, you must stick to a liquid diet for about a week afterward, and watch what you eat for the remainder of your treatment time. Because you have less space in your stomach for food, every nutrient counts.
The best way to decide which procedure is right for you is to talk with Dr. Naik. Meanwhile, here are some key differences you should be aware of.
Both the Orbera gastric balloon and the New Life Lap Band are temporary, but the balloon is designed to stay in 6-12 months, and the Lap Band can stay in much longer. The gastric bypass and the gastrectomy are permanent.
The gastric balloon procedure is minimally invasive in that it involves the insertion of the balloon into your stomach, but it doesn’t require any incisions.
The Lap Band procedure is also minimally invasive, but it requires general anesthesia and an access port under your skin.
The sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass both require invasive surgery.
The Orbera balloon gastric procedure is FDA-approved for patients with a BMI of 30 or higher. The other procedures are reserved for people with a BMI of at least 35 accompanied by related health issues, or a BMI of 40 and at least 100 pounds over their ideal body weight.
If your weight is interfering with your health and well-being, talk to an experienced surgeon. Dr. Naik discusses your overall health, your weight loss goals, and your insurance coverage to help you choose the right weight loss procedure. To schedule a consultation, call us today.
