A relatively new weight-loss procedure offered in Topeka could kick-start the process for those who have struggled to drop waistline inches or shed pounds.
Gastroenterologist Shekhar Challa was the first in Kansas to offer the ORBERA intragastric balloon a balloon that sits in the stomach, decreasing the amount of room so patients feel fuller sooner and eat less. Unlike a gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery, the procedure is temporary and completely reversible.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the Orbera in 2015, and Challa began performing the procedure for qualified patients about 10 months ago. The procedure is part of a program that spans 12 months, so Challa said patients are now beginning to see the kind of weight loss he expected about a 10 percent drop in weight.
Paired with diet and exercise, the program is designed to help patients consume less while learning how to eat better. The balloon is best suited for patients with a body mass index of about 30 who have tried diet, exercise and other weight-loss techniques, Challa said.
Patients shouldnt expect dramatic results, he said. The procedure is designed to reduce weight by 10 to 15 percent, with the idea that patients will continue to gradually reduce weight with new eating habits.
Changing diet and lifestyle are key to successful weight loss, even with the balloon, said Mary Beth Haney, a registered dietitian at St. Francis who works with Challas patients.
During the six months the balloon is inside the stomach, Haney works with patients on portion control and eating healthier. Patients learn not only how to eat less, but how to replace fatty proteins with lean proteins and complex carbohydrates.
When were growing up, were taught to finish our plate, or You took that food, now you have to eat it all, she said. We overrode our innate sense of feeling full.
After the balloon is removed, Haney continues to encourage healthy eating habits.
A lot of it is a lifestyle change. People get used to eating out every day with their coworkers, she said. Instead, I want them to think about maybe packing a lunch or cooking at home.
Orbera is just one more tool to fight obesity, Challa said. More than a third of American adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When you curtail obesity, you curtail heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, so many other things that go with it, he said.
The procedure, or one like it, has been performed internationally for nearly 30 years. According to Orberas website, doctors have performed more than 220,000 implants.
Though it is nonsurgical, patients are briefly sedated while Challa inserts the balloon and fills it with a sterile saline solution. There are some side effects and risks.
Patients will likely feel nausea for a few days following the procedure, but Challa said that can easily be treated with medication. If the balloon decompresses or shifts, it could become lodged against the opening to the small intestine, causing a bowel obstruction.
Challa said such a complication is extremely unlikely.
Read more from the original source:
New weight-loss path emerges in Topeka | The Topeka Capital ... - Topeka Capital Journal
