A gastric balloon is a soft, deflated device that a doctor places inside your stomach and then fills with saline or gas so it takes up space, making you feel full faster and eat less. It’s a temporary, non-surgical weight loss tool typically left in place for about six months, during which patients lose an average of 23 pounds, or between 6% and 15% of their total body weight.
How a Gastric Balloon Works
The balloon occupies a significant portion of your stomach, leaving less room for food. But the effect isn’t purely mechanical. The balloon slows down how quickly your stomach empties after a meal, which means the feeling of fullness lasts longer than it normally would. It also appears to change levels of the hormones that control appetite, so you’re less likely to feel hungry between meals.
The result is that you naturally eat smaller portions without the constant battle against hunger that derails most diets. The balloon is always paired with a structured lifestyle program involving dietary counseling and behavior changes, since the device is temporary and the habits you build while it’s in place are what sustain weight loss after removal.
Who Qualifies
Gastric balloons are designed for adults with obesity who haven’t been able to lose weight through diet and exercise alone. The typical candidate has a body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40. This places the balloon in a gap between lifestyle interventions and more invasive bariatric surgeries like gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy, which are generally reserved for people with a BMI of 40 or higher (or 35 with obesity-related health conditions).
The FDA-approved Allurion Gastric Balloon System, for example, specifies adults between 22 and 65 years old who have made at least one prior unsuccessful attempt at a weight loss program. Your doctor will also screen for conditions that could make the procedure risky, such as prior stomach surgery, large hiatal hernias, or active ulcers.
The Placement Procedure
Most gastric balloons are placed endoscopically, meaning a thin, flexible tube with a camera is guided down your throat and into your stomach. You’re sedated for this, so you won’t feel it. The deflated balloon travels alongside the endoscope, and once it’s positioned correctly, the doctor fills it with sterile saline (typically around 400 to 700 milliliters, roughly the size of a grapefruit). The whole process takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and most people go home the same day.
One newer option, the Allurion system, skips the endoscopy entirely. You swallow the balloon in capsule form while it’s attached to a thin catheter. The doctor confirms placement with imaging, inflates the balloon through the catheter, and then detaches it. This system can involve up to two balloons placed over a 10-month period, with each balloon staying in place for an average of about 15 weeks before it deflates on its own and passes naturally.
What the First Two Weeks Feel Like
The adjustment period is the hardest part. During your procedure, you’ll receive IV fluids and medication to prevent pain and nausea. Once you’re home, expect nausea, cramping, and a feeling of pressure in your stomach for several days. Cleveland Clinic describes it as more of a dull discomfort than acute pain, and it’s manageable with medication for most people. The first week is typically the worst, and symptoms gradually taper off.
Your diet during this time follows a strict progression:
- Days 0 through 7: Smooth liquids only (broths, protein shakes, strained soups)
- Days 8 through 11: Pureed foods (blended meals with no lumps)
- Days 12 through 14: Soft foods you can mash with a fork
- Day 15 onward: Regular foods in smaller portions
This staged approach lets your stomach adjust to the balloon gradually. Rushing to solid foods too early increases nausea and discomfort.
Weight Loss Results
During the six to eight months the balloon is in place, patients typically lose between 6% and 15% of their total body weight. For someone weighing 250 pounds, that translates to roughly 15 to 37 pounds. The average across studies lands around 23 pounds.
These numbers are modest compared to surgical options like gastric sleeve (which averages 25% to 30% of total body weight), but the tradeoff is that balloon placement is far less invasive, carries fewer risks, and doesn’t permanently alter your anatomy. The weight loss can still be enough to improve blood pressure, blood sugar, joint pain, and sleep quality. The critical factor is what happens after the balloon comes out. Without lasting changes to eating habits and activity levels, weight regain is common.
Risks and Side Effects
Nausea and vomiting in the first few days are almost universal and considered a normal part of the adjustment. Beyond that, serious complications are rare but worth knowing about.
Less than 3% of patients experience persistent gastrointestinal symptoms that continue past the first week and don’t respond to medication. These cases require another endoscopy to either adjust or remove the balloon. Ulceration can develop where the balloon rubs against the stomach lining. The FDA has also received about 20 reports of acute pancreatitis linked to the Orbera balloon, likely caused by the balloon pressing against the pancreas through the stomach wall. Pancreatitis can be painful and, in severe cases, serious. If the balloon is identified as the cause, it needs to come out.
Balloon deflation is another concern. If a saline-filled balloon leaks, the dye mixed into the saline turns your urine blue or green as a warning sign. A deflated balloon can migrate into the intestines and cause a blockage, which is a medical emergency.
Removal
For most endoscopically placed balloons, removal happens around the six-month mark using the same type of sedated endoscopy as placement. The doctor punctures the balloon, suctions out the saline, and pulls it out through your mouth. Like placement, it’s an outpatient procedure. Leaving a balloon in longer than recommended increases the risk of deflation, ulceration, and other complications.
The Allurion swallowable balloon works differently. It’s designed to self-deflate after about 16 weeks and pass through your digestive system without a removal procedure.
Cost and Insurance
In the United States, gastric balloon procedures typically cost between $6,000 and $9,000. The price varies depending on the type of balloon, the clinic’s location, and whether the fee bundles in follow-up visits and dietitian support or charges for those separately.
Most insurance plans do not cover gastric balloons, so you should expect to pay out of pocket. Some clinics offer financing plans. Before committing, confirm exactly what’s included in the quoted price, since the ongoing nutritional counseling and follow-up appointments are just as important as the balloon itself for getting lasting results.