How Orbera Works

The placement of the gastric balloon is carried out minimally invasively through an outpatient procedure.

The procedure is performed endoscopically under sedation. The deflated gastric balloon is attached to an endoscope, a narrow lighted tube with a camera attached, which is guided through your mouth, into the stomach. Once inside, your doctor inflates the balloon with saline and a bye dye, or gas to the desirable size. While the endoscope is removed, the balloon is retained in the stomach. The entire procedure takes about 15 minutes to complete. You will be able to leave the hospital soon after.

The device does not interfere with the structure of the stomach, instead it takes up space in the stomach, and helps you limit your food intake by inducing a feeling of fullness and encouraging you to have small meals.

The balloon is temporarily left in the stomach for about 6 months, following which it is removed. The removal of the gastric balloon is also performed under sedation. The saline is first removed from the balloon, and then the deflated balloon is removed from the stomach. The entire procedure takes about 20 to 30 minutes, after which you will be able to go home. This is followed by 6 months of supervised diet and behavior-modification that will be taken care of by a multidisciplinary team of nutritionists, gastroenterologist and medical weight loss physician. This helps you continue eating healthy and staying active, which will greatly influence results.