MedWatch- CCMH now offers the Orbera weight loss balloon from Medwatch 7 KSWO on Vimeo.
LAWTON, OK (KSWO)- The Orbera weight loss balloon is becoming a popular option for people who want to lose 30 to 60 pounds and now it is being offered at Comanche County Memorial Hospital.
“It’s just a balloon essentially, that takes up room in the stomach that food normally would. So, it should make you feel fuller a lot quicker.”
Bariatric general surgeon Dr. Michael Sawyer, says CCMH is the only hospital in southwest Oklahoma that is offering it. Dr. Sawyer says what’s beneficial about this procedure, is that it is noninvasive.
“It doesn’t require actual surgery. What I mean by that is you don’t have to go to an operating room and have incisions placed on your body. It’s actually done endoscopically with an upper scope and it’s placed inside the stomach,” said Dr. Sawyer.
The procedure only takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Using a small flexible scope, doctors insert the deflated balloon through the mouth, down to the stomach. Then it’s inflated with saline to about the size of a grapefruit, and left in the stomach for up to six months.
“The goal is to have it stay in for six months. Having said that, most people find that they get almost all the weigh off that they’re going to get off within the first 3 to 4 months. Then it kind of slows down after that,” said Dr. Sawyer.
He says anyone considering the procedure should view it as a jump-start to a changed lifestyle that includes eating a healthy, balanced diet and keeping up an exercise routine. Something that is very important even after the balloon is removed.
“It gives you the opportunity to have those 6 months or so to get that weight off, and to feel better about yourself. And look yourself in the mirror everyday and say ‘I’m not going back to the person that came in to get this procedure done.’ If you can do that, you’re going to be 100 percent successful,” said Dr. Sawyer.
Dr. Sawyer says the removal process is just as easy as putting it in and the patient doesn’t feel it in their stomach. If you are interested in learning more about the Orbera procedure, you can call the Outpatient Center at 580-510-7042 to schedule a consultation.
Also for those who are already on their journey to a healthier lifestyle, or who want to start, there is a Bariatric Support Group that meets the first Thursday of every month at 6 in the evening, in the Maple Room near the cafeteria. Feel free to come any time, and talk to others who are going through the same things as you.
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