Non-Surgical Intragastric Balloon Procedure

In the intragastric balloon procedure, an empty balloon is inserted through a thin tube placed in the mouth and then into your stomach for approximately six months. Once in place, it is filled with saline and becomes roughly the size of a grapefruit. This helps limit the amount of food the stomach can hold, slows gastric emptying and causes you to feel fuller faster than you normally would.

While every case varies, patients, on average, lose 3 times the weight of diet or exercise, or about 10 percent of their total body weight.

Recovery times will vary. However, ideally, patients may expect to leave the hospital the same day as the procedure and resume normal activity within 2 to 3 days.

Pain and nausea affect about one-third of people soon after an intragastric balloon is inserted. However, these symptoms usually only last for a few days and they can be treated with oral medication. In rare cases, your balloon may have to be removed before intended duration of treatment. The most common reason for the balloon to be taken out of your stomach is because you are unable to tolerate the balloon.