If you are one of the 400 million people who needs to lose weight and have tried to lose excess pounds repeatedly in the past without success, there is new hope in the form of a minimally-invasive procedure being offered at Community Hospital in Munster.
ReShape™ is the new, FDA approved, non-surgical procedure that aims to help people achieve and maintain significant weight loss. With ReShape, two connected balloons are placed in the stomach helping to provide a fuller feeling faster. This builds momentum to change eating behaviors and lose weight with ongoing support from nutritional and behavioral change coaches. It’s a safe, minimally-invasive endoscopic procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis with no incisions and a quick recovery time.
“Patients look to Community Hospital for the high quality care it provides, for the expertise of its doctors and staff and its advanced technology,” said Lou Molina, CEO of Community Hospital. “We’re pleased to offer the ReShape procedure to our patients and make it available on an outpatient basis, close to home.”
The Healthy 4 Life program at Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, offers convenient access to comprehensive medical and surgical weight loss services necessary for long-term success. The individualized care program of medical weight loss incorporates nutritional and behavioral change coaching, psychosocial counseling, functional mobility, medication management, and bariatric surgery. This helps to ensure that patients lose weight improve their health and enhance their quality of life.
During the ReShape procedure, an endoscope is used to insert the two connected balloons into the stomach. Once they are in proper position, saline is used to inflate the balloons. After the balloons are inflated, the endoscope is removed and the insertion procedure is complete. The procedure lasts about 20 minutes and a light anesthesia is used for sedation.
When filled with saline, the balloons help to jumpstart weight loss and encourage healthy eating habits by taking up room in the stomach so there is less space for food. The balloons act as built-in portion control, giving off the feeling of being full and decreasing hunger pangs.
After six months, the balloons are deflated and removed through a similar endoscopic procedure.
Even after the balloons are removed, there is continuous support from the Healthy 4 Life team with monthly meetings and personalized nutrition, fitness and behavior guidance to help maximize success.
ReShape may be an alternative weight loss option for those who do not want or do not qualify for bariatric surgery.
Candidates for a bariatric endoscopy include those who:
- Have a BMI between 30 and 40, with other conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or sleep apnea
- Have attempted weight loss through diet and exercise without success
- Have not been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
- Have not had previous surgeries in the small intestine or stomach (with the exception of an uncomplicated appendectomy)
- Have not had previous bariatric surgery
- Are not on blood thinners
- Are age 22 or above
To find out more about the ReShape procedure at Community Hospital and the Healthy 4 Life program at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System, visit comhs.org. To attend a seminar on Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Options…What’s Right for Me?, register by calling 219-836-3477.
