Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB)

All Inclusive Package Price £2500

Why choose the package?

The procedure alone costs £1995 without taking into consideration any travel, accommodation or other costs. Everything is included in the package – and we take care of all the arrangements for you

What’s included in the package price?

• FREE DIRECT RETURN FLIGHTS LONDON STANSTEAD – BRNO BY RYANAIR
• ALL TRANSFERS AIRPORT – HOTEL – CLINIC
• THREE NIGHT’S STAY IN A LUXURY HOTEL ON YOUR ARRIVAL
• Any necessary tests and investigations
• Pre-operative consultation with Dr Cierny
• The procedure (performed under sedation) and Balloon
• Post-procedure x-ray to check correct balloon placement
• All necessary medicines whilst at the clinic and during your stay.
• Cosmetic Bliss after care package, dietary and nutrition advice and weight monitoring
• RETURN VISIT TO BRNO AFTER SIX MONTHS FOR REMOVAL OF BALLOON INCLUDING FLIGHTS, TRANSFERS AND 1 NIGHT’S HOTEL
• 10% discount on future cosmetic surgery procedures

What extra costs are there?

• NONE - WE ARRANGE AND PAY FOR EVERYTHING FOR YOU
• If you wish to take a friend/partner with you we can arrange their discounted accommodation at an extra charge. Just let us know at the time of booking. We will also be happy to extend your stay for you if you wish to do some sightseeing after your procedure.

What is the Balloon and how does it work?

The intragastric balloon, which has been available since the 1980s is designed to provide short–term weight loss therapy. The silicone balloon is placed endoscopically (through the mouth and oesophagus under heavy sedation) and filled with liquid so it partially fills your stomach and creates a feeling of fullness, encouraging a change in dietary habits. As the intragastric balloon has not been incorporated in the NICE guidelines for the management of obesity, so it is not widely available on the NHS. However, an increasing number of surgeons are now using it, and medical results published and presented to date are very positive, showing the excess weight loss after a balloon can be between 25 and 44%. Average weight loss during the period the balloon is in place has been recorded at between 2-3 stone, but can be lower or higher.  Dr. Cierny will perform this procedure for you as an outpatient in his clinic in Brno. You will be taken to the clinic and returned to your hotel the same day.

The balloon is filled with 500-700 cc of blue-coloured saline solution, causing it to expand into a spherical shape. There is no need for a general anaesthetic, or overnight hospitalisation. An intravenous sedation is given, and then an anaesthetic spray into the mouth and throat allows the BIB to be placed in the stomach after the necessary examinations. The procedure takes only about 20 - 30 minutes and you will then stay in the clinic for a short period of observation, checked regularly by the medical team. The use of the BIB is limited to a maximum of 6 months, and then it has to be emptied and removed endoscopically.

After having the balloon fitted, the first few days are uncomfortable and unpleasant for most candidates (approx 80%) until your stomach gets used to the presence of the balloon. You are likely to experience nausea, vomiting, a bloated feeling, and cramping until your body adjusts. These conditions are normal and should be expected initially. These symptoms vary in their intensity and usually disappear within a few days. Anti-emetics, PPI drugs (2-4 weeks’supply) and painkillers will be provided for you at the clinic. Dr Cierny will advise you on your diet for the first few days and monitor your progress until you leave Brno.

The advantage of the saline filled balloon over air filled balloons is that, in the unlikely event that it should be accidentally damaged in the stomach, it can be instantly spotted. Although damage is extremely unlikely, should liquid escape from the balloon, it will colour your urine blue. You can recognize this very quickly, and can immediately contact the doctor. (An empty balloon can, potentially, pass through the stomach into the bowels, and cause a blockage. The early detection of leakage from a blue saline filled balloon would allow the doctor to resolve the situation by removing the balloon and prevent a possible serious complication.)

Like other weight loss surgeries, the balloon is simply a tool and works best when you use it properly, following a low calorie diet and maintaining close contact with the health professional team during the time the balloon is in place. By having the Balloon inserted you can expect to achieve significant weight loss in the first six months, although the amount of weight you lose and how long you maintain that weight loss will depend to a very large extent on how well you make the long-term changes related to eating and exercise. The BIB system can help you break unhealthy habits and start to make these changes.

Am I a suitable candidate for the BIB Balloon?

We believe you would be most likely to benefit from the balloon if:

• Your BMI is not high enough to qualify for Obesity Surgery under the criteria set by IFSO (International Federation for Surgery of Obesity), yet you have been unable to achieve or maintain sufficient weight loss by other methods (e.g. through a long-term supervised weight-loss program -diet, behaviour, exercise- designed to increase the possibility of long-term weight-loss maintenance). Our minimum BMI for balloon procedures is 30.
• You are between the ages of 18 & 60

• You have a BMI of 40 and above (or 35 with co morbidities) but your state of health will not allow you to undergo an operation under general anaesthetic.
• You are extremely obese (a BMI above 50) where the balloon will be fitted to allow you to lose some weight in preparation for a bariatric operation later.
• Please note: You will be unlikely to be suitable for the Balloon if you have previously undergone gastric or any other upper abdominal surgery, as this would cause the placement of the balloon to become a health risk to you.
• Please check your B.M.I. on our calculator.

Illustrations of the BIB Intragastric Balloon

What risks and possible complications are there in having a BIB Balloon?

The balloon is generally a safe and simple procedure, involving no surgical operation.

A relatively small percentage of candidates find they are intolerant to the balloon, and in these cases we will arrange for its early removal.

The incidence of complications such as gastric perforation is extremely rare in patients who have had no previous gastric surgery.

Damage to the balloon whilst it is in place in the stomach is again extremely rare, and can be easily detected by a change in the urine colour, due to the colourant in the saline used to fill the balloon.

Click here to read a testimonial.

What Do I Do Next?

Weight Loss Surgery

Our weight loss (Obesity) surgery procedures include:

• Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB) - the Balloon
• Laparoscopic (lap) Gastric Band - the Lap Band
• Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy - The Sleeve
• All stomach surgery takes place in Brno - the Czech Republic's beautiful second city. Our package prices for obesity surgery include FREE DIRECT RETURN FLIGHTS Stanstead-Brno

Read more testimonials