Intragastric Balloon

The intragastric balloon is a soft, silicone balloon that is inserted into the stomach and filled with sterile saline and stays in place for approximately 6 months. With the balloon you will have a feeling of satiety, or lack of hunger. With the help of the balloon you can adopt the lifestyle changes needed to lose weight and keep it off for the long term. To be eligible to have an intragastric balloon inserted you must be at least 10kg over your ideal weight (BMI 30-35 range) and ready to comply with a long term weight management programme.

Intragastric Balloon

The insertion of the balloon takes 20-30 minutes under sedation (rather than a full general anaesthetic), after which you will be monitored for a short while before being discharged home the same day. For the first week you will follow a liquid diet with instructions to drink plenty of fluids. Then you will start eating solid foods again with advice from our specialist bariatric dietitian.

During the six months that your balloon is in place, you will be monitored regularly and receive education and training on the nutrition and lifestyle changes you must make to ensure your weight loss becomes a long term success. Published studies show that in the six months that their balloon is in place, patients lose on average 15-21kgs (2.5 - 4 stones). However, the amount of weight loss and the maintenance of that loss will depend on how well you adopt long term lifestyle changes in your eating and exercise.

The balloon is removed by a similar procedure to that when you had it inserted. Some people choose to have a new balloon fitted at the same time as the first one is removed. As with all medical procedures, there are also potential risks of unforeseen, unknown or adverse reactions to medications or the procedure itself. Our bariatric surgeon and anaesthetist will discuss these with you and answer any questions you may have.