Chattanooga Bariatrics is one of the first in the nation to offer the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System, an FDA approved, first-of-its-kind non-surgical weight loss procedure for people with mild to moderate obesity. ReShape provides a new option for adults with a BMI of 30-40 and a related health condition who haven’t succeeded at diet and exercise alone and do not want or do not qualify for bariatric surgery.
“For years a significant gap has existed in treatment options for obesity with limited, effective therapies available,” said Dr. Jaime Ponce, bariatric surgeon, Chattanooga Bariatrics. “We often see patients who are clinically obese and in desperate need of medical intervention to help them lose weight, when diet and exercise alone have failed and surgery is not an option. ReShape provides this group of ‘in-between’ patients with access to a non-surgical, reversible option to encourage new habits and lasting results.”
The ReShape Dual Balloon is inserted in the stomach during a short outpatient procedure, where it remains for six months, serving as built-in portion control so people may feel full and less hungry. It does not change or alter the natural anatomy of the stomach in any way. During this time and for the six months after removal, patients receive frequent in-office diet and exercise coaching sessions and access to the ReShape Patient Portal, an online support resource that provides tools and information to help patients track weight loss, diet, and exercise, and an on-line community where they can interact with each other.
More than 78 million adults in the U.S. are obese. In June 2013, the American Medical Association officially classified obesity as a disease. Clinically defined as having a Body Mass Index of more than 30, obesity can lead to numerous, serious health complications including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
In an FDA clinical study of 326 patients conducted at eight sites in the U.S., patients with ReShape experienced 2.3 times more excess weight loss at six months compared to those who had the diet and exercise program alone. In the clinical trial, patients lost up to 72 pounds in 12 months.