Dr Matla – Day of Placement an Onwards

Placement day diet:

• Stop drinking 2 hours prior to placement. You will already have stopped eating by then so please continue with that.  
• You can take any regular medications as normal with just a small sip of water
• Please arrive at your appointment in plenty of time to check in and sign any necessary paperwork.

Post – Placement:

Please continue to take your PPI’s and anti – sickness medications as prescribed by your doctor and you can obtain additional if needed from your GP

Post placement diet:

• Day 1 - clear fluids only then progressing onto all fluids, especially nutritious high protein ones.
• Day 2-3 - puree diet – basically a baby food type consistency so you will need a blender for this.
• Days 3-5 - soft diet – anything you can mash soft with a fork, add additional sauce/gravy if needed.
• Days 5-7 - you can start to introduce normal, textured foods back you’re your diet. Take your time with this and don’t worry if this takes up to 2 weeks before you are eating normally again.
• It is important to keep well hydrated, please drink a minimum of 2 litres of fluid daily.

This diet is important to help you and your body adjust to the balloon being in-situ. By moving onto solid food to early can exacerbate side-effects.

Once you have progressed onto solid food, essential eating behaviours are particularly important with a balloon – taking small bites, chewing food well, having a rest between mouthfuls, stopping eating when satisfied (before the point of intense fullness). This can also be called eating mindfully and is a great habit to adopt and continue with long term. It is also advisable not to eat and drink at the same time – leave half an hour before and after eating before you have a drink. You may find that very cold drinks can worsen stomach cramps so if that’s the case it is best to avoid those and have them at room temperature instead.

You will receive a further 5 telephone calls from our specialist nurse/dietitian whilst the balloon is in place.  These offer personalised advice and will support you on your weight loss. BandBoozled  can then be used as a support network in between your appointments.

It is important you take any advice on board to get the most from your gastric balloon. Work on those healthy habits and do your best to maintain them in the long term. After your balloon has passed, if you feel you need additional help with your weight loss there are some other options that can be discussed with Dr Matla.