Hello from Arkansas!!!!

[dguerrant3]

Well, to start, my name is Diana and I live in NE Arkansas approximately 35 miles from Memphis. Fortunatly I have been chosen for a weight loss study for the Re-Shape Duo balloon in Memphis. I meet with the Dr. tomorrow for the pre-op meeting and am scheduled for the proceedure on Monday, Sept. 24th. However, I have a 50/50 chance of getting the balloon (it's a double blind study). Hopefully the odds will be in my favor If not, I will be eligible to recieve one in six months. My only concern is the diet. They prescribe the same diet as the lap-band patients. I do have a few friends that have had the lap-band proceedure and have done so so with it. I have heard their horror stories and I am a little nervous. Based on the simplicity of the balloon, I hope the FDA will approve it. It is considered a on-invasive proceedure and not technically a surgery, basically an upper GI. Well, I'm glad to be here and I'm sure I will be coming back for answers to questions I am definatly going to have

 

[TwoMas]

Hi Dian, Welcome. Congratulations on you decision to have wls and I commend you on being one of the first to in a ground breaking proceedure, you are very brave and I hope it works and others can be helped by the now proceedure. Since it is a double blind study and you may not get the balloon the results may be obviouse. You said the proceedure is non invasive so I imagine there is no surgery involved allowing them to do the study without you knowing whether you have it or not. Please tell us more about the proceedure. Tom

 

[dguerrant3]

There are 60 patients, 1/2 of us will receive the Reshape Duo balloon in the first procedure. The other half will be the control group, this group will be given the choice to have a balloon placed when the first group finishes their six month study. Only the dr. Will know who has what, however, we're told that it would be pretty obvious to us within a day or so.

The balloon looks like a barbell made from the same material as breast implants and each side of the balloon holds 2 cups of saline, for a total of 4 cups. You are sedated as if having an upper GI, an endoscope then places the balloon into the stomach and is filled. The balloon then floats inside the stomach keeping the stomach full. After six months, the balloon is removed the same way it was placed, at this time, the control group can then choose to have the procedure and follow up nutritional care just like the first group.

The diet is exactly the same as the lap band patients. They told us to expect lots of cramping and Discomfort for 2-3 days and most should feel back to normal by day 4 or 5. It sounds like a fabulous idea with less post-op pain than the other choices. Also, once approved, the cost would be approx. $4000. - $5000 compared to $10,000 - $12,000. The device is already in use in Europe and Canada. It's purpose is to jump start weight loss for those who have trouble exercising and with portion control. They wanted BMI between 30% and 40%.

 

[Qaterra]

Hi, Diana,

Welcome in! And congraulations!!! You must be so excited. I can only imagine. The gastric balloon has been around in some form or another for many years, so you should feel very safe. Although this duo balloon itself may be new, the basic procedure isn't.

I hope you're one of the ones who actually gets the balloon. Time will tell, for sure!

Please keep us updated. There's some outstanding support here.