subject: Could Stomach Balloons Offer Risk-free Weight Loss? [print this page] The last three decades have offered the weight loss market a number of different clinical methods for beating obesity - gastric bypass and band included. However despite the 2006 directive which enforced the regulations that all Medical Centers to have expert surgeons and equipment, these types of weight loss procedures are still very risky.
Even following recent modifications where complication rates have dropped by 2.2% from 12.2% of patients to 10%, and mortality rates has shrunk from 0.28% to 0.20% (a 0.08% drop) - these improvements are minimal when you add to the equation the thousands of slimmers who signup for these surgeries ...
Yet, this could soon all be changing if the ReShape Medical's double balloon is approved by the FDA.
Structured to help slimmer's who are just below or above eligibility settings for gastric bypass and band cosmetic procedures, or who are considered to be too young (under18); the double-balloon device could easily aid this ignored niche. How does it work? In its current condition, the double-balloon mechanism is inserted down a patient's throat using thin tubing before being inflated with saline. As these two oval balloons are pumped, slimmer's will start to feel full and will quickly be able to reduce their portions.
More importantly, once dieters attain their weight loss objective, this cosmetic device can easily by deflated and removed from the stomach without being cosmetically removed.
At the moment, this balloon device is meant to perform its first medical study at the start of March where 30 consumers across 3 medical centers will be equipped with the balloon. Should it prove safe and effective, this study will be expanded to 350 volunteers across ten surgeries and eventually will be to the Food and Drug Administration for approval.
Is the balloon safe?
It is undeniable that this dual action balloon could essentially help hundreds of thousands of obese patients who are either too young for gastric bypasses or suffer from diabetes, coronary heart disease and muscle problems to lose weight, however this double balloon system has got a long way to go before it is approved.
Twenty six years ago a similar single balloon system was created by Garren-Edwards. However, with no backup membrane to protect it from punctures, this balloon was prone to bursting and slipping into the small intestine where it produced dangerous blockages. As a result this product was quickly removed the market.
by: Alan Chan
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