Here’s a new way to lose weight without surgery

Despite years of dieting and grueling workouts at the gym, the scale didn’t budge for Kim, a 38-year-old administrative assistant.

“The final straw was when I popped a button on my pants,” she says. “I knew I needed something more to jump-start my weight loss goals. People I know have undergone weight loss surgery, but I wasn’t ready to do that.”

Kim underwent a new, FDA-approved weight loss procedure called ORBERA Intragastric Balloon, performed by Dr. Rajeev Vohra and Dr. Gregory Nishimura of South Nassau Communities Hospital’s Center for Weight and Life Management.

The ORBERA Intragastric Balloon combines a gastric balloon in conjunction with a 12-month behavioral modification program for long-term weight loss success. Within two weeks, she dropped 12 pounds.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a full-button reset,” says Kim, who is well on her way to meeting her goal to shed 50 more pounds off her 185-pound frame.

“Recent studies demonstrated the use of the balloon resulted in 3.1 times more weight loss than dieting alone,” says Rajeev Vohra, MD, FACS, director of South Nassau’s minimally invasive and bariatric surgery. “This is an effective form of weight loss therapy, especially for patients like Kim who had a BMI (body mass index) of less than 35.”

Under sedation, the deflated silicone balloon is placed into the stomach through the mouth and is then inflated. The balloon decreases how much food the stomach can hold and is designed to make the patient feel full. The procedure is part of a 12-month coaching program that includes a supervised diet and exercise program. After six months, the balloon is deflated and removed, and the supervised weight loss program continues for an additional six months.

Candidates for the gastric balloon are adults who have a BMI of 30 or greater and have been unsuccessful with conventional weight loss programs.

For a consultation or more information on the gastric balloon or our other weight loss procedures, call 516-374-8631.