Gastric Balloon
Gastric balloon is made of silicone or polyurethane material, placed in the stomach as deflated and then inflated with sterile liquid. It is used for the obesity treatments. Balloon application is not a surgical intervention, but some gastric balloons are placed and removed by endoscopy under anesthesia, depending on the type of balloon. The mechanism of the gastric balloon is to create a constant feeling of fullness by occupying space in the stomach, thus enabling the patient to lose weight with less food consumption at each meal. Studies on this subject started in the 1980s. Swallowable gastric balloons, which do not require endoscopy and anesthesia, are also used.
