By ERIC CLABAUGH
Director of Communications, Parkview Health

FORT WAYNE — R. Gregory Scheible, MD, Parkview Physicians Group — Gastroenterology, is among the first in the country, and is the first in the state, to perform a recently FDA approved intragastric balloon procedure.

The ORBERA Intragastric balloon is a new minimally invasive, non-surgical alternative to traditional surgery, providing individuals working to improve their health and well-being a new weight loss option.  Scheible recently performed the new procedure at Parkview Regional Medical Center.

The ORBERA Intragastric Balloon is a soft, durable silicone balloon designed and intended for patients with a Body Mass Index of 30 to 40 who have attempted more conservative weight reduction alternatives. The balloon is placed in the stomach for six months filling space to reinforce portion control, and is used in conjunction with a long-term supervised diet and behavior modification program.

“As physicians, we partner with our patients and work to tailor a personalized health journey aimed at helping them achieve their own unique goals,” said Scheible. “Diet and exercise may sound easy to some, but a weight loss journey can be more difficult than that. This new procedure, in combination with a customized weight management plan, provides our patients an innovative approach to weight loss.”

Scheible is helping to develop a comprehensive weight management center at Parkview, and the intragastric balloon procedure will be an option for patients who need help achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Scheible and his team of nurses, therapists and dietitians will coach patients over the course of 12 months, even though the balloon is removed after six months. “We will work with our patients to develop sustainable, healthy habits that will help them keep the weight off over time,” added Scheible. “We want to help keep them motivated and help them work through weight loss barriers.”

In a non-surgical procedure typically done under a mild sedative, the thin and deflated ORBERA balloon is placed into the stomach. It is then filled with saline until it’s about the size of a grapefruit. The procedure normally takes about 20-30 minutes and people can generally go home the same day.

At six months, the balloon is removed in the same way it was placed. Through a non-surgical procedure done under a mild sedative, it is deflated and then removed. Once the balloon is in place, the 12-month coaching program begins.

ORBERA is manufactured by Apollo Endosurgery Inc., a leader in minimally invasive endoscopic surgical products for bariatric and gastrointestinal procedures. For more information visit orbera.com.