While alcohol has its positives, it also can reinforce unhealthy behaviors. It’s important for patients to be aware of the negative effects that drinking can have on their weight loss and overall health.
The Spatz3 intragastric balloon remains in place for up to 8 months and is drained and removed during the same endoscopic procedure. This allows patients to work on incorporating long-term healthy habits into their lifestyle before the removal of the balloon.
During the procedure, you will not be able to consume any alcohol as this can thin your blood, lead to dehydration and interact with certain conscious sedations. Abstaining from alcohol for 12 hours prior to your scheduled appointment will ensure you are hydrated and ready to have the Spatz3 gastric balloon implemented.
The insertion of the Spatz3 balloon is performed endoscopically through the mouth into the stomach, under sedation. It is a non-surgical procedure that typically takes about 15 minutes to complete. Once the balloon is in place, it will be inflated with saline.
The balloon occupies space in the stomach, slowing down your eating speed, helping you feel full with smaller meals. It also helps you develop healthier lifestyle habits, which facilitates long-term weight loss and overall health improvement. During the 12-month program, you will work closely with your True You weight loss support team to help you make positive changes in diet/nutrition and exercise.
A key to success with any gastric balloon is adherence to the recommended dietary changes and regular follow-up appointments. The team at Spatz FGIA can provide guidance and support to help you develop a healthy, balanced diet and a more mindful relationship with food.
In addition to our Orbera and Spatz intragastric balloons, we offer the only Adjustable Gastric Balloon in the world. The Spatz3 balloon’s volume can be flexibly adjusted during a short endoscopic procedure to accommodate any dietary or emotional challenges.
This allows you to extend the duration of your treatment, which results in superior weight loss outcomes compared to non-adjustable balloons. It also helps prevent balloon intolerance that commonly leads to early extraction (with standard balloons, approximately 10% of patients experience intolerance within the first month). Book a free online callback to find out more about how the Spatz3 balloon can help you achieve sustainable weight loss and improve your wellbeing. We are proud to be the first U.S. center to offer the Spatz3 device outside of an FDA post-approval study.
Alcohol and Gastric Balloon Procedure
At first glance it may appear as if alcohol and gastric balloon procedure should never be mentioned in the same sentence. However, what if you enjoy a nightcap from time to time or are planning on heading out with your friends after a long week at work? Is this possible?
The answer to this question is a little bit more complex than one might think. For most patients, drinking a small amount of alcohol once a month is fine, provided the patient maintains an appropriate calorie intake and a balanced diet. However, it’s also important to remember that if you have recently undergone a gastric balloon procedure, you need to be especially careful about how much alcohol you consume.
A gastric balloon procedure is a surgical treatment that involves placing an inflated, silicone gel-filled pouch into your stomach via a gastroscopy, under light sedation. Once the balloon is in place and filled with saline solution, you will be able to return home the same day, though you may need to stay in hospital for observation for a short while before your doctor discharges you.
During the early stages following your balloon placement, it is recommended that you follow a liquid diet until the start of the second week, after which you can begin to eat soft mashed foods. It’s important to remember that, even when you are able to consume a more varied diet, you should continue to drink plenty of water – at least 1.5-2 litres per day – in order to avoid dehydration.
It is also worth bearing in mind that some patients experience diarrhoea whilst their stomach adjusts to the presence of the balloon, but this should only be mild and temporary and can usually be managed with over-the-counter medication. If you experience more persistent issues such as bloating, acid reflux or hiccups, it’s important to seek medical advice from your GP as these symptoms could indicate that the balloon is causing inflammation of the stomach lining or has become blocked.
Gastric Balloon Side Effects
One of the most common questions when it comes to the gastric balloon procedure revolves around the potential side effects. The truth is, like anything in life, there’s no guarantee you won’t experience any uncomfortable symptoms but if followed correctly, these can be minimised and resolved quickly.
The gastric balloon is inserted into your stomach via a non-surgical, endoscopic procedure that takes 30-40 minutes. It will remain in your stomach for 6 months during which you will see significant weight loss and improved diabetic control and blood pressure. Our team will support you throughout this period and even after your balloon has been removed.
During the procedure, you will be under sedation so you won’t feel any discomfort or pain. Once the procedure has been completed, we will give you some time to recover in hospital and make sure you are tolerating your balloon before discharged with dietary instructions. During the first 48 hours, your stomach may feel irritated by the presence of the balloon and this can lead to griping pains but this should subside after a few days following a liquid diet.
If you are suffering from nausea or vomiting following the balloon insertion, we recommend that you contact us to discuss this with one of our bariatric nurses who can advise on appropriate medications to help. It is also important to note that you will be discharged with a supply of medication (typically lansoprazole) which you must continue to take for the duration of the time that your balloon remains in place to help with stomach acid suppression and to prevent stomach ulcers.
Within a few weeks, you will start to feel that you can eat most foods but we encourage you to chew well and only eat small meals. You may find that food can get stuck on the balloon and this can cause belching or bad breath odour so we suggest drinking clear fluids or sucking on ice cubes after each meal to help clear any digested foods.
Adjustable Gastric Balloon
For patients who cannot benefit from bariatric surgery due to comorbidities (for example, severe esophageal reflux disease), a balloon procedure is an excellent option. It is non-surgical, minimally invasive and offers an effective way to lose weight with no serious risks and side effects.
Intragastric balloons have proven to be safe and effective when used in conjunction with a low-calorie diet. They are the most widely studied and most popular endoscopic “weight loss” treatment for obesity.
The Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon is the only adjustable intragastric balloon in the world that allows a gradual increase or decrease in the volume of the balloon, giving patients more flexibility to adapt to their weight loss plan and avoid problems such as vomiting or nausea. The balloon is placed through a thin catheter using a minimally invasive approach, in a 20 min outpatient procedure. After six months the balloon can be drained and removed from the stomach through the same procedure.
Weight Maintenance
Whether you have the Spatz® or another form of gastric balloon, it’s important that you abstain from alcohol completely until after your procedure is complete. Alcohol thins the blood and can interfere with some of the conscious sedation medications used during the surgery.
Alcohol can irritate the stomach pouch and cause significant discomfort. It is also very caloric and most alcoholic drinks contain sugar, which you are trying to avoid as part of your bariatric diet.
It is recommended that you wait at least a year after your gastric balloon has been removed before resuming alcohol consumption. This will give you the opportunity to establish a new, healthier relationship with alcohol without the temptation of having it as a reward or coping mechanism. Studies have shown that people who have had RYGB experience increased incidence of substance use problems over time. This is probably due to changes in the hormones that regulate your reward circuits.
