Gastric balloon? Tube stomach? Which one should I choose?
There are certain parameters that we consider when deciding which weight loss method to apply to people with weight problems. The most important of these is body mass index (BMI). There are 3 billion people with weight problems around the world, and most of them have a body mass index of 25-30 kg/m2. We can also define these people as the group that does not meet the criteria for bariatric surgery. However, we know that most of these people are looking for an effective weight loss method because they cannot lose weight with diet and sports. This group of people is the main target of methods such as gastric balloon, stomach botox and weight loss drugs. On the other hand, people who meet the criteria for sleeve gastrectomy or other obesity surgery may seek a non-surgical method to lose weight due to their fear of surgery. This is quite human and understandable. But there is something that most of them do not know. The weight loss effect of gastric balloon or other non-surgical weight loss methods is limited in comparison with surgeries.
The most comprehensive study on gastric balloon application is the BRAZIL STUDY. They applied gastric balloon to 50 thousand patients and followed these people for 6 months. In this study, the average weight loss was determined as 18-20 kg. According to the results of this study, it is not possible to lose weight in high numbers with gastric balloon and stomach botox. Therefore, if you have a high excess weight, you should not expect miracles from non-surgical methods. If you don't know your ideal weight, it is actually very simple to calculate it. You multiply the square of your height in meters by 25. If we go through the example, my height is 1.75 m; 1.75×1.75= 3.06×25= 76 kg. So the upper limit of my ideal weight is 76 kilos. You can easily calculate your ideal weight or excess weight based on this formula. If you are overweight over 25-30 kilos, methods such as gastric balloon or stomach botox will most likely not satisfy you. If this situation fails for you, it will create morale depravity as well as financial expenditure and loss of time. At this point, don't get the impression that "I tried everything, it didn't work, I couldn't". You should be asking yourself, "Was gastric balloon or gastric botox the right method for me?"
At this point, we, the physicians dealing with bariatric surgery, have a great responsibility. We need to inform the person correctly in every aspect. People who apply with a gastric balloon request with a weight of 140-150 kg are likely to not be able to lose the weight they want, if they want to lose weight effectively and if they want to keep it for many years, they should actually prefer sleeve gastrectomy or an obesity surgery that is suitable for them, the two methods are very different from each other. It has to be explained in every aspect.
Another issue is the necessity of not forcing anyone to have surgery. Because surgery is only the beginning phase of the work. In obesity surgery, the person should be fully prepared for the surgery and the postoperative period. In gastric reduction surgery, the postoperative period is as important as the surgery. Someone who is far from the idea of surgery focused on the gastric balloon should be given a certain amount of time to reconsider their decision to seek surgery if necessary. After all of these, if the person says, "I know that the probability of success is low for someone of my weight, but I still want to try my luck with a gastric balloon or stomach botox, I don't want to have surgery," this decision should be respected.
