Obalon Balloon System

What is the Obalon® Balloon System?

The Obalon Balloon System is a unique weight loss system that doesn’t require anesthesia or surgery. If you have a BMI between 30 and 40, Obalon can help you lose twice as much weight as you would through diet and exercise alone. Obalon is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle; however, it can help you benefit more from one.

Instead of surgery, Obalon involves swallowing specialized balloons, which take up space in your stomach, so you feel full after eating small, balanced meals. The balloons remain in your stomach for up to six months, which allows you to jump-start behavioral and diet changes. It’s a way to get you over the initial hurdles of losing weight.  The Obalon Balloon System is ideal for patients who wish to lose 20-40 pounds.

Obalon is useful even if you’ve unsuccessfully tried to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. The system helps you make encouraging progress early on while adapting to changes in the way you eat and think about food. Even if you think you’ve tried everything, you don’t necessarily need surgery, thanks to Obalon.

What is the procedure for placing the Obalon Balloon System?

Obalon placement is not invasive. That means you don’t need to undergo tests to determine if you can safely handle the system, as you would with other surgeries. If you and Dr. Snow decide Obalon is right for you, he places the system through a series of quick, simple procedures.

The system consists of three balloons, and Dr. Snow places one at a time using the same technique. You swallow a capsule the size of a multivitamin containing the balloon, which is attached to a very small catheter. Using an X-ray, Dr. Snow ensures the capsule is in your stomach, and then inflates the balloon with gas through the catheter.

At 2 weeks after placing the first balloon, Dr. Snow places the second balloon. Then, two weeks after the second balloon, you receive the third balloon. Dr. Snow removes all three balloons six months from the first balloon placement.

Each balloon placement takes about 10 minutes, and you can go back to your usual activities immediately afterward.

What happens after the Obalon Balloon System is placed?

For the six months, the Obalon system is in your stomach, and you follow a customized diet and exercise plan under Dr. Snow’s close supervision. He may refer you to a nutritionist or personal trainer to help you stay on track and learn how to incorporate good habits into your everyday life.

Though the system remains in your body for only six months, Dr. Snow continues to supervise you for at least 6 months after removing the balloons. It’s especially important to keep up healthy eating habits, even without the balloons helping you to feel fuller.

Obalon may be the first step to achieving your weight loss goals and lifelong health. To schedule a consultation at Snow Bariatric Center, call or use the online booking tool today.