Botulinum toxin, widely used in the field of medical aesthetics to reduce the effects of aging on the skin, has also been preferred for various medical treatments for many years. One of the popular treatments is gastric botox, which is among non-surgical obesity treatments. If you have problems with your weight, want to lose weight, but don’t want to go under the knife, then get to know gastric botox.
What Is Gastric Botox?
Gastric botox is an endoscopic method in which botulinum toxin is injected into the stomach. With this procedure, the muscles of the stomach are paralyzed at defined positions. This leads to a delay in gastric emptying and also to a longer feeling of satiety for about 6 months.
How Is Gastric Botox Applied?
Gastric botox requires no incisions or any stitches. The treatment is performed endoscopically under screen control and takes about 20 minutes. Initially, the stomach and duodenum of the patient are examined by endoscopy. If there are no obstacles such as gastric ulcers or gastritis, the process can begin. First, the patient’s throat is numbed. Then the botox is injected endoscopically into the stomach. After enough botox has been injected into the intended locations of the stomach, the doctor completes the procedure.
The application of botox is highly effective on muscles in the stomach. This leads to a decrease in the contractility of the muscles injected with botox. Nutrients are typically processed within 2-3 hours and digested within 4-4.5 hours. Due to the contraction of the stomach muscles, this process can last up to 10-12 hours. Additionally, with the help of an injection in the stomach area, the hunger hormone is separated, thus significantly reducing the satiety hormone. In this way, the patient’s appetite is significantly reduced, and the feeling of satiety remains for a long time. The most important factor leading to the success of gastric botox is the amount of botox injected into the stomach. Since the effect can vary from patient to patient, the doctor decides on the dose of botox after a thorough examination.
Who Is Gastric Botox Suitable For?
Gastric botox is a suitable method for patients with a body mass index of 25-35, whose weight is not high enough for obesity surgery and who cannot lose weight despite all efforts. Generally, obesity surgery is recommended for those with a body mass index over 35. Patients with gastric ulcers or gastritis can be administered gastric botox after treatment of these diseases.
What Is the Healing Process After Gastric Botox Treatment?
After gastric botox treatment, patients can usually leave the hospital 1-2 hours later. For the first three days after treatment, the patient should only consume liquid foods. The recovery time after this treatment is very short; patients can return to their normal lives as early as the next day. A decrease in appetite becomes noticeable as early as 3 days after the treatment and reaches its maximum after 1 week. The effect lasts for 4-6 months. The gastric botox is naturally excreted from the body during this period.
With a gastric botox treatment and an individualized diet program, it is expected that the patient will lose an average of 10-15% of their total weight. This rate can vary depending on age, gender, metabolic structure, and physical activity. Gastric botox is effective for up to 6 months. If the patient wishes to continue losing weight, a second treatment can be performed after 6 months. Gastric botox can be applied for up to 3 sessions. It is important that there be at least 6 months between each session for more than one session.