Clinically Proven Weight Loss Procedures

We all complain about our weight from time to time and usually know when it’s creeping up or we could do with gaining or losing a few pounds. Even if weight is not a particular problem for you, we should still pay attention to it and keep it under control. The stark reality is that with obesity becoming an increasing problem, more people are exposing themselves to all manner of health risks including type 2 diabetes (a condition caused by too much glucose in the blood), heart disease, strokes, asthma and many types of cancer. Other conditions linked to obesity include high, infertility, osteoarthritis - a condition that affects the joints and pain. And then there’s the psychological problems that can develop as a result of being overweight such as feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence, which if left unaddressed could result in a more serious depression. Being too heavy can cause mobility issues, making it harder to get out and socialize which can become very isolating. All these issues put a strain on relationships with family and friends too. Most people are aware of the importance of a healthy diet and regular exercise when it comes to controlling weight, but for many it’s just not that simple. Bariatric surgery such as gastric banding or a gastric balloon can be used to treat people who are morbidly obese and have exhausted other avenues to lose the weight with little or no success.

Gastric Balloon

Sometimes recommended by the NHS and many leading medical practitioners as the non-surgical procedure to combat obesity, a gastric balloon is a procedure where a deflated soft silicone balloon is inserted into the stomach through the mouth rather than having to make an incision in the abdomen. The gastric balloon can usually be passed through your mouth and down into your stomach using an endoscope which is a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera on one end. Once in place the balloon is filled with air or saline solution to decrease the amount of gastric space so patients feel fuller faster after eating and adjust to smaller portion sizes. Gastric balloons can be left in the stomach for up to six months and can achieve an average weight loss of 5–9 BMI. A gastric balloon procedure can be a good solution if you’re too obese to meet the criteria for other types of bariatric surgery, helping you reach the weight needed to have other surgery if deemed necessary.

Gastric Banding

Gastric banding – the procedure where a gastric band is fitted to control weight– is one of the least invasive surgical procedures to be recommended by the NHS.A laparoscopic gastric band equipped with an inflatable silicone rings placed around the top half of the stomach, by adjusting the diameter of the silicone ring, it can reduce food consumption and therefore weight. Gastric banding works by reducing stomach pouch to a smaller size which slows and limits the quantity of food per consumptions that patients feel full quicker. Commitment is required on the part of the patient to sustain weight loss by opting healthier food and limiting portion sizes. Gastric bands make this achievable as they reduce appetite and control the progress of food from the top portion of the stomach to the lower portion where digestion takes place. Gastric banding is design as such a laparoscopic surgery is sufficient enough, and thus the wound is minimum and usually as the consequences, patients have less pain than open surgical procedures, almost unnoticeable scars, a much shorter hospital stay, quick recovery, and is reversible with only another key-hole operation. None of the body organs are permanently modified or removed, stomach will function as usual post the surgery. Gastric bands are made from biocompatible materials, and coexist nicely with patient’s internal organs and inflict no harm to the body.

Take Control of your Weight

Bariatric surgery of any kind is a big decision to make, however, if a weight loss procedure such as gastric banding or a gastric balloon does appear to be the most suitable solution to your obesity problems, it’s reassuring to know that both procedures are reversible and neither makes permanent changes to the body and are clinically proven to be effective. Before deciding on which weight loss surgery route to go down, it is advised that patients need to be fully informed and understand that the aim of both procedures is not temporary weight loss but rather to change the relationship they have with food and pave the way to a new healthy attitude to and for life!