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"Weight loss has always been a challenge for me. I have tried it all. You know what I'm talking about - diet, exercise and pills. It either doesn't work or it doesn't last. Even if I followed a diet carefully, it was so difficult, and eventually I failed, miserably. I knew that I needed help in controlling my appetite - but diet pills don't work so well."
A LIGHTER LIFE
Does this sound familiar? We all know the importance of diet and exercise to look good and feel good but, for some people, sticking to this healthy lifestyle is just too hard. Whether it's a lack of willpower or motivation that's the problem, it doesn't make them bad people, it just means they need a little extra help.
Over the last twenty five years the intragastric balloon has proved to be the most effective non-surgical method of treating obesity. More than 100,000 patients have achieved an average weight loss of more than 15kg during the first six months of treatment.
Newport-based Nucleus Healthcare, Wales' private centre of excellence for gastroenterology, has been fitting patients with intragastric balloons with great results and, from 2011, the hospital is delighted to announce that it will be offering a new adjustable gastric balloon, the Spatz. The adjustable gastric balloon is the next generation of balloon and is a non-surgical, non-drug therapy which does not involve a general anaesthetic.
We spoke with Dr Manny Srivastava, founder of Nucleus Healthcare and Consultant Gastroenterologist to find out more about this new adjustable balloon.
What makes this gastric balloon different to the old one?
Despite achieving great results over the years, certain weaknesses and limitations in the traditional intragastric balloon have been detected - nothing that those with the old-style balloon should be concerned about but as with most things, there's always room for improvement. The main reason was that it was impossible to modify the volume throughout the treatment and the useful life of the device was limited to six months. After years of exhaustive research, the Spatz adjustable gastric balloon has been designed to overcome this issue and offers a more effective treatment for twelve months.
How does it work?
The adjustable gastric balloon is filled with saline and sits in the stomach for twelve months resulting in an average weight loss of four to five stones at twelve months. It drastically reduces the sensation of appetite due to the volume it occupies in the stomach. It slows stomach emptying, keeping blood sugar levels stable, thereby reducing the sensation of hunger. It eliminates the vicious cycle of 'hunger, anxiety, hunger' and provides control from the very beginning.
What does the procedure involve?
A deflated balloon is inserted into the stomach through an endoscope. The balloon is then filled with saline to produce a feeling of fullness. The ability to vary the volume in the balloon over twelve months allows greater weight loss. It also reduces side effects as you can tailor the volume in the balloon to suit the patient. The balloon is inserted under local anaesthetic and takes about twenty minutes. The patient stays in the hospital for around two hours.
What about aftercare?
Patients have regular follow-up appointments with a dietician and specialist nurse to learn about healthy nutrition and exercise. After twelve months, the balloon is removed.
Nucleus staff continue to provide aftercare beyond twelve months with individual counselling and group seminars for as long as the patient feels they are necessary.
What are the benefits?
Obesity is a huge social and medical problem in Wales with enormous implications for the people involved. This style of treatment has a proven track record and, I believe, has a much greater success rate.
It is very much an aid to dieting and helps modify their eating habits. Once the balloon is in place, people don't feel as hungry, and eat smaller portions.
Who is the balloon suitable for?
It is suitable for patients over eighteen with a body mass index of 27 or more.
There are two main groups of patients who opt for a gastric balloon - those worried about long-term health problems associated with being overweight or obese and those that want to lose weight for cosmetic reasons.
Can you tell us about any new developments at Nucleus?
This is a really exciting time for us and we are delighted to announce that we have just opened a brand new, state-ofthe- art laparoscopic unit and that we now carry out gastric banding.
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