Orbera® is a non-surgical weight loss program that utilizes an intragastric balloon and custom dietary, psychological, and fitness support to help patients achieve significant weight loss. Each patient works with a team of medical professionals to prepare for the procedure and complete the entire program.
The Benefits of Orbera®
- Patients can achieve three times the weight loss with Orbera® compared to diet and exercise alone
- The procedure is very safe — it’s been performed 277,000 times around the world (and counting)
- The balloon fills part of the stomach and encourages portion control
- The balloon is implanted in a straight-forward, non-surgical procedure
- The program teaches healthy habits to help keep the weight off even after the balloon has been removed
Why Choose Orbera®
Orbera® was commercially launched in 2004, and is now offered in over 80 countries to help patients lose weight. More than 277,000 Orbera® balloons have been used since the launch and today, Orbera® is the number one gastric balloon around the world.
A group of international physicians identified the characteristics of an ideal intragastric balloon effective in producing weight loss and designed the original Orbera® balloon. The Orbera® balloon is:
- Spherical in shape with a smooth, soft surface to reduce the risk of ulcers
- Filled with sterile saline rather than air to fill the stomach and reinforce portion control
- Able to be filled to a volume of 400-700cc
- Made with a radiopaque valve to support visualization within the stomach
The Orbera® Treatment Journey
The physician begins the procedure by doing a diagnostic endoscopy to ensure the patient is a good candidate for Orbera®. Then, the patient will be mildly sedated and the deflated gastric balloon will be inserted through the esophagus and into the stomach.
The physician will use a syringe to fill the balloon with a sterile saline solution until the balloon is the size of a grapefruit. After the procedure, patients may experience nausea, vomiting, and gastric pain, However, these side effects typically resolve within one to two weeks of placement.
For the next six months, the patient will be re-training their brain to anticipate the feeling of being full and reducing the amount of food they can eat. The patient will be in constant communication with a team of medical professionals who will support their journey. A dietician will provide a custom nutrition plan, a fitness trainer will develop an exercise program, a psychologist will address underlying emotional issues contributing to overeating, and a physician will monitor the patient’s overall health.
In the first six months of the program, patients may lose 20 to 50 pounds, and sometimes even more.
When it’s time to remove the balloon, the physician will perform a very similar non-surgical procedure that will only take 20 minutes.
For the final six months of the program, patients will continue following their personalized diet and exercise program to ensure they’re equipped with the tools they need to keep the weight off.
Give us a call to learn more about Orbera® and to schedule an appointment.
