Dr. Coppola was amazing! I went in a gastric ballon and have lost 60 pounds so far! He worked with me and set on a diet plan. This has been a life changing experience and I can not say enough good things about Dr. Coppola! He is friendly and even funny! He always spent as much time as I needed during each visit. I recommend he as a 5 star doctor!
Congratulations on your progress! While it certainly is possible to have a second balloon place if you do not reach your goals, most physicians will wait a couple of weeks before placing the next balloon.
Lisa, You are to be commended for deciding to make an important change in your life. Weight-loss is frequently the single most important thing person can do to extend both their lifespan but also their quality of life. Both the sleeve gastrectomy and gastric balloon's have a role in assisting patients to achieve their weight loss goals. Having said that, in addition to higher cost, the sleeve gastrectomy has a much longer recovery time, more complications and is a permanent change as compared to a gastric balloon. In an average patient with a body mass index of less than 40, I would recommend the less invasive balloon over a gastric sleeve. This decision, however, needs to be individualized between a trained bariatric physician and their patient.
One of the biggest questions that I am asked by patients seeking a gastric balloon is insurance coverage. We have found that some plans will allow payment using a health savings account. Others will reimburse the patient after they have lost a sufficient amount of weight. The vast majority of plans, however, have no coverage whatsoever. You would need to check with your insurance plan to see if this would be considered a covered service or if they would allow it to go toward your deductible.
I'm sorry you're having trouble. The majority of patient will have some cramping and bloating for 3 to 7 days following the procedure which then improves. Prolong symptoms may point to more severe, though rare, complications such as pancreatitis, hyperinflation of the balloon, ulceration or gastroparesis. It is important that you speak with your Doctor to rule out a more severe complication. Provided your doctor finds no serious complications, I have used motility agents such as Reglan in short duration to improve the symptoms. The Orbera balloon may cause some degree of transient gastric delay. Nausea medications can also be used on an as needed basis to ameliorate some symptoms. These would need to be individualized to your specific circumstance. Again, if your symptoms are this debilitating, more severe disease needs to be ruled out, so contact the physician who placed the device as soon as possible.
The Orbera balloon, like all bariatric procedures, is a tool in attaining your weight loss goals. You have made the best first step, that is understanding the importance of exercise and diet in achieving any weight loss goal. With a medically supervised weight loss program, exercise to include strength training and aerobic activity and gastric balloon, we see between 45-65 pound loss on average in a six month period. This is variable depending on the basal metabolic rate, other medical conditions and motivation. Most insurance programs do not cover gastric balloons, though some allow payment through a health savings account. You would need to check with your plan administrator.
