A Closer Look at Our Weight Loss Options

Are you tired of the ups and downs of dieting? If you haven’t been successful at getting to and staying at a goal weight, perhaps it’s time to try a new approach. 

If you’re looking into nonsurgical weight loss solutions, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Jack Hensel Jr., with Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, offers two different, interesting options: Orbera™ Balloon, a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure in which a special balloon is inserted through the mouth into the stomach, and hCG hormone therapy. 

Orbera Balloon 

You don’t want the risks involved in weight loss surgery, but you’d like to shrink the size of your stomach so you feel full more quickly. Modern technology now offers a weight loss option that does exactly that: the Orbera™ Balloon system. With this option, there are no incisions or stitches. Plus, you’re engaged in a medically supervised weight loss plan. 

Dr. Hensel inserts a special, deflated gastric balloon through your mouth that slides down to your stomach and sits there. He then inflates the balloon with a safe saline solution. Because the balloon takes up significant space in your stomach, you feel full without overeating. 

The FDA approved the Orbera Balloon system in 2015. Physicians have used gastric balloons to manage obesity for more than two decades. During that time, their design and use has evolved, and now the Orbera system manages weight loss without invasive surgery. 

The Orbera Balloon is a temporary device to help you learn to consume the right amount of food to keep you at a normal weight. You’ll lose quite a bit of weight during the first three months. Dr. Hensel removes the balloon after about six months. 

The Orbera system also includes following a diet and exercise plan. You commit to regular appointments during which we monitor your progress. 

The hCG diet

At Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center, we use an adaptation of the hCG diet as shown on “The Dr. Oz Show” on TV. HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced during pregnancy that suppresses appetite. Dr. Hensel develops an individualized dosing regimen of hCG based on your age and gender. The hCG is given via injection. 

Diet and exercise are a central part of the program. We recommend a calorie count customized just for you. Moderate exercise is important. Developing a regular exercise routine helps curb appetite, raises your endorphin levels, and helps prevent disease. Plus, because hCG reduces your feelings of hunger, you won’t need to binge on your trigger foods to feel full. 

The hCG diet produces fast results, which helps motivate you to keep losing weight. You’ll see significant results and changes in your body within three to six weeks, rather than waiting that amount of time to lose one or two pounds. 

Call Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center or book an appointment online today to explore effective alternatives for weight loss.