Spatz3 Gastric Balloon – A Non-Surgical Approach to Weight Loss
By Peggy Ng. Clinical Application Specialist Easmed
As weight loss procedures becomes more and more openly discussed, especially during this pandemic when a lot of us are leading a more sedentary lifestyle, more people are considering non-surgical approach to weight loss. Let us bring you through a discussion about the differences between surgical and non-surgical weight loss procedures.
Surgical Weight Loss Procedures
Surgical weight loss procedures are surgeries like gastric bypass, gastric sleeve and gastric band. These surgeries restrict the amount of food your stomach can hold. Let’s see how each of them is different from one another.
Gastric bypass is a surgery performed under general anaesthesia where permanent shape and volume changes to the stomach and small intestines are done. The stomach is stapled and attached to the lower part of the small intestines, causing the digestive system to be unable to adsorb a lot of nutrients and thus, causing weight loss.
Next, gastric sleeve or Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) involves removing a big part of the stomach causing sheer reduction in the amount of food the patient can intake. This procedure is also done under general anaesthesia and is permanent and irreversible.
Finally, gastric band is tying a band to the upper portion of the stomach and connecting it to a part of the intestines, causing the patient to fill full faster and for food to pass through slower. Some gastric bands are adjustable and the controller is placed underneath the skin. This procedure is reversible and the bands can be removed.
Non-surgical weight loss procedures
Now, why has more and more patients chosen this method of weight loss? Firstly, there are years of clinical studies signifying intragastric balloon as having advantages over bariatric surgery in terms of reversibility, safety and cost-effectiveness.
Secondly, balloons that are adjustable triumphs over non-adjustable ones. Common side effects of intragastric gastric balloons involves nausea, vomiting and general intolerance after the balloon has been inserted. An adjustable balloon offers the option of deflating and thus allowing the process to be more tolerable. As most weight loss takes place in the first 4 months and then plateau, an upwards adjustment of the balloon allows for further weight loss, extending more time for the patient to adjust their eating habits and lifestyles, creating an extended period for more weight loss, amplifying the effectiveness of weight loss for up to a year.
There is only one adjustable balloon in the Singapore market right now, the Spatz3 Intragastric Balloon. It is also customisable, offering tailored volume to suit every individual’s target weight loss and well as stomach size.
If you’re interested to find out more, learn more about the Spatz3 Balloon here: https://www.easmed.com/intragastric-balloon/
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