FORT MYERS, Fla. - s4story -- Surgical Healing Arts Center, which specializes in medical and surgical weight loss, is the only health care organization in Southwest Florida currently offering the Adjustable Endoscopic Spatz3 Balloon for weight loss.

Designed for individuals wanting to lose at least 22 pounds, it is a viable option for those who may not meet the criteria for weight loss surgery or who do not want invasive surgery or weight loss drugs. It is also used to help people lose weight before other surgeries, such as orthopedic or gallbladder surgery, to lower the risks associated with those procedures. The balloon is installed through the mouth via endoscopy with conscious sedation and without hospitalization. Patients can expect to lose 15 to 18% of their body weight, compared to Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists medications.

"With the increase in obesity as well as awareness about the health-threatening risk for significant disease from it, we offer another option to patients to enhance their health," said Dr. Mina Saeed, weight-loss surgeon at Surgical Healing Arts. "Like other bariatric solutions, this is a tool that will help patients develop healthy lifestyle skills to ensure long-term success and health."

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Like other weight loss options, patients have guidelines to follow for best success, such as restricting the amount of fiber they consume and regularly meeting with their care team. Unlike other non-invasive weight loss surgeries, the balloon is adjustable according to each individual patient, to help enhance weight loss. It is U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved to remain inside the stomach for eight months.

The saline-filled balloon is placed in the stomach, taking up about a third of the space. After the procedure, the stomach cannot hold as much food as it did before, so patients consume smaller portions. The stomach also empties slower, so patients feel full longer and can learn the signals the body sends about eating to ensure future weight loss maintenance.

In addition to medical and surgical weight loss options, body contouring surgery after weight loss, advanced laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery, and general surgery, Surgical Healing Arts can prescribe weight loss medications as part of its comprehensive weight loss solutions.