4 Benefits of Losing Weight With a Gastric Balloon

When conventional weight loss strategies have failed to help you lose weight or keep the weight off, Dr. Dyslin may recommend weight loss surgery. The gastric balloon, or intragastric balloon, is a promising option for many people who are mildly overweight or obese or who aren’t candidates for other forms of bariatric surgery.

A temporary, reversible weight loss device inserted in your stomach, a gastric balloon can remain in place for up to six months. Dr. Dyslin places the balloon during an endoscopic procedure — through your mouth — so it’s less invasive than other weight loss procedures.

When the balloon is inflated with a small tube, it reduces the amount of food your stomach can hold, which causes you to feel full faster and may positively affect the production of some of your hunger hormones.

Choosing a gastric balloon for weight loss offers a number of advantages. Here is why you might consider this procedure for your weight loss journey.

1. Helps jump-start weight loss

While many weight loss surgeries require you to have a body mass index of at least 40, you can qualify for a gastric balloon procedure with a BMI of only 27. You may use the gastric balloon for six months to curb your appetite and make it easier to comply with prescribed diets and create behavioral changes.

The balloon can help you become accustomed to eating smaller portions of food. You may also use it for dramatic weight loss prior to a one-time event, such as a wedding or reunion.

2. Good for extreme obesity

If you have a BMI greater than 60 or can’t undergo invasive surgery due to health conditions, a gastric balloon can help. You may use it to lose some initial weight so you can qualify for gastric bypass or sleeve surgery.

The gastric balloon may also help you alleviate some obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, which can make future gastric bypass surgery safer and easier for Dr. Dyslin to perform.

3. Easier procedure

A gastric balloon procedure is less invasive than major surgery, such as gastric bypass. It requires sedation or anesthesia, but it doesn’t involve incisions or blood loss. As a result, you can go home the same day and recover faster than you might from gastric bypass. Gastric balloon procedures are also less costly compared with a gastric sleeve or gastric bypass.

4. Few side effects

Insertion of a gastric balloon has few side effects, and complications are rare. You may have some pain and nausea for a day or two after the balloon is in place, but this usually resolves on its own.

A gastric balloon procedure isn’t right for everyone, however. We here at David Dyslin Bariatrics carefully consider your weight loss goals, current health, and lifestyle when recommending a gastric balloon or other weight loss procedure. To learn more about how you can benefit from medical support to achieve your healthy weight, call our office or book a consultation online using this website.

The Ins and Outs of Recovery From Gastric Bypass Surgery

During gastric bypass surgery, Dr. Dyslin reconfigures your stomach into a pouch — essentially reducing its size. Your new, smaller stomach is then connected to the middle portion of the small intestine.

You lose weight because your stomach has a smaller capacity and bypasses the upper part of the small intestine, where calories and some nutrients are absorbed.

Surgery is usually a final strategy for weight loss when conventional diet, behavior changes, medications, and pre-packaged meals fail. Weight-loss surgery is not easy and requires recovery.

Before you undergo the laparoscopic or even robotic surgery, know what to expect during this recovery period and what will become your new normal.

Immediate recovery

Usually, gastric bypass surgery is performed laparoscopically, using a micro camera and tiny instruments inserted into very small incisions. The benefit of laparoscopic surgery is that you usually have a shorter recovery time.

If you do require open surgery, Dr. Dyslin makes larger incisions, which requires a longer healing time. Both laparoscopic surgery and open surgery are performed under general anesthesia.

Most people spend one to two days in the hospital following gastric bypass surgery. This time is necessary to ensure you recover from the anesthesia and that you don’t have any complications as a result of the operation. In the vast majority of cases, men and women have no serious problems following gastric bypass.

Infections at the sites of incisions from surgery can develop within seven to 10 days of the procedure. You may have warmth, pain, redness, or pus drainage at the sites. In some cases, you may also run a fever. You’ll need antibiotics and possible follow-up surgery if you develop an infection.

Walk, walk, walk

Following surgery, you won’t be expected to return to normal activities or exercise for at least a month. But, you will be encouraged to walk soon after surgery — even while still in the hospital — to discourage blood clots and other complications.

Once you go home, it’s important to stay mobile with gentle walking, too.

Constipation

It’s normal to have some changes in your stool habits following gastric bypass surgery; you may not have a bowel movement every day.

Constipation is a common side effect of gastric bypass surgery and is usually temporary. Constipation means you have hard bowel movements less than once per week.

You experience constipation because your intake of food and beverages has reduced due to your stomach’s new, smaller capacity. Make sure you still consume plenty of fiber and drink ample water to make your system move smoothly.

Narcotic pain relievers prescribed immediately following surgery also cause constipation. If you’re taking an iron supplement or other medications, these too may be responsible.

Gallstones

When you lose weight quickly, gallstones can result. As many as 50% of patients who undergo gastric bypass develop them.

Usually, the gallstones are harmless but in 15-25% of people, surgery to remove the gallbladder is necessary after gastric bypass surgery.

Dumping syndrome

After gastric bypass surgery, your body doesn’t have tolerance for high-sugar meals. If you consume soda, candy, or fruit juice, you may experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and cramping as the food rushes through the digestive tract and stomach.

Nutrient absorption changes

The shortened intestine means some nutrients may not be absorbed as readily as they were in the past. People who undergo gastric bypass sometimes fall short on iron, folate, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12.

Ask the team at David Dyslin Bariatrics about supplements to support your intake of these essential nutrients.

Lifestyle changes

Weight-loss surgery is a dramatic life move. The procedure affects how you eat, move, and feel. You’ll get the support necessary at David Dyslin Bariatrics, including learning how to commit to smaller, more frequent meals, follow a more nutritious meal plan, and exercise regularly.

These steps support your long-term success and recovery from gastric bypass.

9 Tips to Prepare for Gastric Sleeve Surgery

When you and Dr. Dyslin have decided that gastric sleeve surgery is the right step in your weight-loss journey, you may wonder: Now what?

Preparation for this surgery is critical to its overall success. The surgery involves removal of the outer 85-90% of your stomach. So when you eat, you’ll feel fuller sooner — thus you take in fewer calories and curb the urge to binge.

The part of your stomach removed is responsible for the production of a hormone that causes your appetite to rage, too, further contributing to diminished hunger.

Since gastric sleeve surgery is a major step, you want to do everything you can to guarantee its success. Prepare for the surgery with these nine steps.

1. Change your diet

Approximately two weeks prior to the procedure, Dr. Dyslin will switch you to a special pre-op diet. You may follow a liquid diet or another eating plan appropriate for your age and health. This helps reduce the size of your liver and make the surgery safer.

2. Prepare a support group

Alert close friends and family that you’re having the surgery so they can support you during your recovery. You’ll need physical support in the days following surgery and ongoing mental support as you lose weight and adjust to your new stomach.

3. Go grocery shopping

Don’t just go for your regular trip to the grocery store, however. Make a list that includes the ingredients necessary for the post-surgical meals specified by Dr. Dyslin.

4. Stop smoking

The effects of smoking interfere with your recovery post-surgery and increase your risk of complications. Aim to quit smoking at least a month prior to your procedure.

5. Have a flexible wardrobe

Pack loose clothing to come home in, such as pants with an elastic waistband. You’ll likely have soreness in your abdomen and won’t be interested in wearing an outfit that binds. Think ahead to your rapid weight loss to follow surgery, too. Have a few items of clothing on hand that you can transition into as you drop pounds.

6. Prepare your house for when you come home

Do the laundry, sweep up, and make sure shopping for the family is done so that when you get home from surgery, you can rest and recover. You want to avoid overexerting yourself in the days immediately following gastric sleeve surgery.

7. Get your medications

If you take any prescription medications, refill them before surgery so you don’t run out during recovery. Also, pick up stool softeners and over-the-counter medications, such as pain relievers, so you’re stocked when you get home.

8. Tie up insurance and financing

Gastric sleeve surgery is covered by health insurance only in certain circumstances — such as having a body mass index above a certain level or dealing with health issues related to obesity — and by specific insurance plans. If yours is one of them, make sure you follow through on all the paperwork prior to surgery so you don’t end up with bills you didn’t expect.

9. Invest in protein

Protein becomes a serious staple in your diet post-surgery. Take time prior to gastric sleeve surgery to determine what types of protein powder you prefer and stock up on protein-rich foods, such as lean meats and egg whites. Dr. Dyslin has suggestions, too.

If you live in the Alliance, Fort Worth, Arlington, or Mansfield areas or anywhere in North Texas and you’re ready to take charge of your health by reducing your weight with gastric sleeve surgery, talk to the staff at David Dyslin, MD, FACS, so you know exactly what to expect during and after the procedure. The team’s compassionate manner and thorough prep will get you through this major step so you come out lighter and feeling better in the coming months.