Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), New Brunswick, is now offering an innovative weight loss technology known as the ORBERA Intragastric Balloon, a safe and effective weight loss solution with 20 years of global experience that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The device is designed to help adult individuals who are severely overweight and have been unsuccessful using diet, exercise and pharmaceutical interventions alone. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is one of the first hospitals in the country to offer this new tool in helping people achieve their weight loss goals through a non-invasive procedure.
The ORBERA Intragastric Balloon is a soft yet durable silicone balloon that is designed to assist adult patients with obesity in losing and maintaining weight. ORBERA is an incision-less, non-surgical solution for patients who are not appropriate for or considering invasive weightless surgery, but for whom diet and exercise or pharmaceutical interventions have not worked.
The silicone balloon is inserted inside the patient’s stomach to reinforce proper portion control typically done under a mild sedative. Once the thin and deflated ORBERA balloon is placed into the stomach, it is filled with saline until it is about the size of a grapefruit. The procedure usually takes about 20-30 minutes and patients are often able to return home the same day. Once the balloon is in place, a mandatory 12-month coaching program begins.
Six months after the balloon is placed inside of the patient’s stomach, the balloon is deflated and then removed through a non-surgical procedure done under a mild sedative. Afterward, patients follow a healthy diet and exercise plan which is critically important to their continued success. If patients do not follow the plan, they may experience little to no weight loss.
“Losing weight and keeping it off is not easy,” says Ragui Sadek, M.D., medical director of Adult and Adolescent Bariatric Surgery at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “With the innovative ORBERA device, patients are supervised throughout the entire program by a team of trained and experienced physicians, psychologists and nutritionists. Combining this technology and the help of a professional team, the patient is able to successfully make and maintain major changes in their eating and exercise habits, improving their health and changing their lives.”
Patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 to 40 who have attempted more conservative weight reduction alternatives are ideal candidates for ORBERA. Some patients are ineligible to receive ORBERA, especially if pregnant, planning to become pregnant within six months or currently breast feeding. Internal conditions such as stomach irritation or ulcers may also prevent a patient from receiving ORBERA. If a patient is interested in ORBERA, physicians will inquire about the patient’s medical history and perform a physical examination to determine their eligibility.
Studies have indicated that after six months, patients who have used ORBERA have achieved a mean of 38.4 percent Excess Weight Loss (EWL). Mean Total Body Weight Loss (TBWL) at six months was 10.2 percent for patients who were treated with ORBERA compared to 3.3 percent TBWL for the patients who were not treated with ORBERA. At six months, the group that received ORBERA also lost 3.1 times as much weight as the group that did not receive ORBERA.
To learn more about ORBERA at RWJUH,visit http://www.rwjuh.edu/bariatric-surgery/surgical-options.aspx.
To learn more about RWJUH, visit www.rwjuh.edu. For a referral to a physician affiliated with RWJUH, call 1-888-MD-RWJUH.
