Weight Loss Injections in Combination with Gastric Balloon for Weight Loss
Most of you are aware that obesity is one of the growing health concerns all around the world. This is because obese people are at higher risk of developing various chronic diseases like diabetes, infertility, cardiac problems, certain types of cancers, etc. Millions of people are already affected, and they are seeking the best weight loss treatment options.
Restrictive diet and regular exercise are the traditional weight loss methods, which might be less effective. However, over the past few years, advancements in the medical industry have led to effective procedures to manage weight loss, which include bariatric procedures (surgical procedures) and weight loss injections and gastric balloons (non-surgical procedures). In recent times, experts are exploring different combinations of procedures to improve outcomes of weight loss. In this blog, let’s explore weight loss injections in combination with gastric balloons.
Weight Loss Injections
Weight loss injections, especially in recent years, have proven to be an effective weight loss treatment. Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy (active ingredient semaglutide) and Saxenda (active ingredient liraglutide) are given to obese people in the form of injections weekly or daily. These medications regulate your appetite, slow gastric emptying, and promote a feeling of fullness, which helps you to lose weight.
Clinical trials say that people tend to lose 10-15% of their excess body weight. Remember, lifestyle changes are also important in this weight loss journey with weight loss injections.
Gastric Balloon
A gastric balloon is one of the best minimally invasive weight loss procedures. The procedure involves inserting a balloon filled with saline into your stomach with the help of an endoscopic tube. As the balloon occupies some space in the stomach, it won’t allow you to consume more food, and you may feel fuller sooner. Typically, the balloon is allowed to stay in the stomach for about six months and then removed. People who undergo this procedure tend to lose 10-15% of their total body weight.
Remember that adopting healthy eating habits and regular physical exercise is very important in this phase. Expats say that this is an ideal procedure for moderately overweight or obese people.
Weight Loss Injections and Gastric Balloons — A combination therapy
Combination therapies are emerging approaches for enhancing weight loss outcomes. Using weight loss injections in combination with a gastric balloon is one of the approaches that has been successful in recent years. The main advantage here in the procedure is that you can gain control of both the physical and hormonal pathways of weight loss. The gastric balloon helps with mechanical restriction, and weight loss injections help with controlling hunger hormones and appetite.
Some people might regain weight after some time following the gastric balloon removal. Experts say that this combined weight-loss approach might help to overcome this challenge. Studies and clinical experiences say that people tend to lose 20-25% of their total body weight. As the weight loss injections are used for a long time, they help to prevent weight gain after the gastric balloon is removed.
Benefits of the combination approach
- Enhanced weight loss compared to standalone treatments.
- Improved appetite control
- This procedure can prevent weight regain in the long term, a common challenge with balloon-only treatment.
- Unlike bariatric surgery, there are few risks and a short recovery period. This is because both treatments are non-surgical or minimally invasive.
- This combination could be a wild card option for people who can’t and don’t want to undergo surgery.
Risks and considerations
- Gastrointestinal side effects, especially during the initial adjustment period.
- Rare but severe side effects due to medication are pancreatitis or gallbladder issues.
- Rare complications with the balloon procedure include balloon deflation, gastric ulcers, or balloon migration.
- Commitment to lifestyle changes.
- Obese people with particular medical conditions might not be ideal for this combination therapy.
Early clinical data and observational studies suggest that gastric balloons combined with GLP-1 agonists offer effective weight loss results compared to individual therapies. A recent study published in Obesity Surgery and their observation reported that patients who had undergone this combination treatment lost around 25% of their total body weight within a year.
However, consulting an expert weight loss surgeon and evaluating yourself play crucial roles in determining the suitability of the treatment. They will assess your health history, current medications, and psychological readiness. For more detailed information, consult Dr. Venugopal Pareek, one of the best weight loss surgeons in Hyderabad. He always follows a customized strategy for patients, as he will help you to understand the benefits and limitations of the procedure so that you can make an informed decision.
