Gastric balloon prices vary depending on the country of manufacture, the length of time the gastric balloon can stay in the stomach and whether an endoscopy procedure is required when it is placed in the stomach. A gastric balloon is an elastic material generally made of silicone that can be inflated with a special colored liquid. One of the gastric balloons is inflated with gas instead of liquid (Orbera).

Gastric balloon is used as an alternative weight loss method to bariatric surgery in patients with low body mass index. With the gastric balloon, a person can lose 10 - 20% of their initial body weight, i.e. approximately 10 - 20 kilograms. The gastric balloon, which can be inserted in a few minutes, is generally effective and its biggest advantage is that it does not require surgery. Although they can be used temporarily, with lifestyle changes, education and support, the weight lost with the gastric balloon may not be regained. In some rare cases, however, the gastric balloon may not cause enough weight loss and the weight may return to the old weight after it is removed.

Who Can Have a Gastric Balloon?

Although gastric balloon is considered suitable for those with a body mass index between 28 and 40, bariatric surgery is more effective for those with a BMI of 35 and above. Gastric balloons were approved and started to be used in the USA in 2015. (Check your body mass index)

How is a gastric balloon inserted?

The gastric balloon is inserted through the mouth as if swallowing a large pill or with the help of endoscopy by putting the person to sleep. The endoscope is like a plastic tube with a camera at the end, about the thickness of our pinky finger, and carries the deflated gastric balloon on its end as it extends from the mouth to the stomach. When the stomach is reached, the gastric balloon is detached from the endoscope and filled with serum or air through a thin IV cable extending from one side of the gastric balloon. Gastric balloon insertion takes 20 minutes.

Gastric Balloon Types

Obalon

Obalon is the most recently developed FDA-approved gastric balloon. It differs from other balloons in two ways.

The Obalon gastric balloon is swallowed with a glass of water.

It is inflated with air. The risk of pancreatitis, which can rarely be seen in balloons filled with serum, is lower in Obalon filled with gas.

A total of 3 balloons are swallowed. The second gastric balloon is swallowed one month after the first one, and the third gastric balloon is swallowed in the second month.

Orbera Gastric Balloon

Orbera is a long-standing and successful gastric balloon, with 220,000 inserted worldwide. Considering the importance of lifestyle change and support, Orbera offers patients many support tools.

Orbera supports the patient with an app.
Orbera gastric balloon is inserted by endoscopy.

How Does a Gastric Balloon Work?

Gastric balloons work in two ways.

They reduce the available volume allocated for food in the stomach. The stomach has an average volume of 1.5 liters, the gastric balloon fills about half of this. When a gastric balloon is inserted, you can eat 40-50% less than you could before the balloon was inserted.
The most important effect of the gastric balloon is that it makes it difficult for fluid and food to pass through the stomach, allowing you to feel full quickly and stay full longer.

How Long Does a Gastric Balloon Stay in the Stomach?

Gastric balloons generally stay in the stomach for 6 months and then some of them are spontaneously excreted with feces, while others are removed with endoscopic help. There are also balloons that stay in the stomach for a year. Gastric balloons that stay for a year are removed by endoscopy at the end of one year.

Good and bad sides of gastric balloons

As with bariatric surgery, gastric balloons have advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages

• They do not require surgery
• Easy and quick to deploy
• Some require sedation and mild anesthesia when being placed.
• Provides weight loss
• It can provide long-term weight loss with diet and exercise.
• Depending on lifestyle changes, they provide 10-25 kg weight loss.
• When a gastric balloon is inserted, you feel full more quickly and feel hungry less often.

Disadvantages:

• Acid reflux may occur. protective gastric medications are used.
• Nausea, vomiting and cramp-like pain are common in the first few days.
• Since gastric balloons can be used for a certain period of time, there may be weight gain when they are removed.
• There may be difficulty falling asleep. This is usually caused by reflux due to the balloon.
• Acute pancreatitis can be seen in over-inflated liquid balloons.