Gastric balloon insertion

What is a gastric balloon?

A gastric balloon is a soft balloon that is placed inside the stomach and filled with salt water (saline) or, for some types, gas. It takes up space so you feel full sooner and eat less. Most balloons are placed and removed during a gastroscopy; some newer types are swallowed as a capsule and filled through a thin tube, and a few pass naturally after deflating.

It is a temporary measure. The balloon stays in for a set time, usually up to 6 months and no longer than about 12 months, after which it must be removed because it can start to break down. It is meant to be used as part of a wider weight-management programme with diet, activity and support, not on its own.

It is not surgery and does not change your stomach or bowel permanently. It is not a cure for obesity, and weight is commonly regained after removal if eating and lifestyle changes are not kept up. It generally produces less weight loss than bariatric surgery.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your procedure

• You will usually be asked not to eat for about 6 hours and not to drink for a few hours beforehand.
• Have an honest discussion about realistic weight loss and the need for lasting diet and lifestyle change.
• Tell the team about reflux, hiatus hernia, previous stomach surgery or swallowing problems, as these affect suitability.
• Mention all medicines, including blood thinners and acid-reducing tablets, and any chance of pregnancy.
• Arrange anti-sickness medicine in advance, as nausea is very common in the first few days, and plan time off.
• Arrange a responsible adult to take you home if you have sedation.
• Make sure you understand the dietary stages (fluids, then soft food) and the support programme that comes with the balloon.

What happens

For most balloons, the procedure is done during a gastroscopy. You may be offered a numbing throat spray or light sedation. A thin camera is passed into the stomach to check it is healthy, then the deflated balloon is placed and filled with saline (and often a blue dye that would colour your urine if the balloon ever leaked). The whole procedure usually takes about 15–20 minutes.

A swallowable balloon is taken as a capsule with a thin tube attached; once it is in the stomach it is filled, the tube is removed, and a check (sometimes an X-ray) confirms its position. Some of these need no sedation.

Afterwards you rest in recovery. Cramps, nausea and vomiting are very common in the first days, and you are usually given anti-sickness and anti-spasm medicines. Months later, the balloon is deflated and removed, usually by another gastroscopy.

Is this procedure right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

Comfort, sedation or contrast choices

If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.

Almost everyone has nausea, vomiting and cramps for the first few days, and a minority cannot tolerate the balloon and need it removed early. The serious risks are deflation or leakage (which can lead to bowel blockage) and, rarely, a stomach or gullet tear. UK regulators have stressed that gastric balloons should only be used within proper clinical governance and as part of a supervised weight-management programme. Ask which device is used, what the evidence is, and exactly what to do if your urine changes colour, you cannot keep fluids down, or you get severe tummy pain.

Published figures to discuss

Most figures describe how often early symptoms and intolerance occur rather than long-term success, and long-term weight-loss evidence is limited, which is why UK regulators recommend careful governance. The numbers below are cautious indications from device and NHS sources and vary by balloon type and the person; expected weight loss in particular is uncertain and not guaranteed.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

There is no surgical wound, but the first few days are often dominated by nausea, vomiting and cramps as your stomach adjusts to the balloon. Most people settle within a week or two with anti-sickness medicines and a staged diet.

• Marked nausea, retching or vomiting for the first few days
• Tummy cramps, bloating and reflux that settle over a week or two
• A sore throat for a day or so after the gastroscopy
• Needing anti-sickness and anti-spasm medicines at first
• A gradual return to soft, then normal-textured, food

Aftercare

• Sip fluids regularly to avoid dehydration, especially while nausea is bad.
• Take anti-sickness and anti-spasm medicines as advised in the first days.
• Follow the staged diet (fluids, then soft food, then small balanced meals) and eat slowly.
• Take any acid-reducing medicine prescribed to protect the stomach lining.
• Attend all programme appointments with the dietitian and team.
• Watch for a colour change in your urine, which can signal a leak, and report it at once.
• Keep the provider's contact number and know who to call out of hours, including after you go home.

• Anti-sickness and anti-spasm medicines collected before the procedure
• Responsible adult to take you home if you have sedation
• Suitable fluids and soft foods ready for the first 1–2 weeks
• Acid-reducing medicine collected if prescribed
• Dietitian and follow-up appointments booked
• A clear plan and date for balloon removal
• Provider and out-of-hours contact numbers saved

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• A change in the colour of your urine (for example green or blue), which can mean the balloon has leaked
• Severe or persistent tummy pain
• Vomiting that will not stop, or being unable to keep any fluids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as dizziness, very little urine or extreme tiredness
• Vomiting blood, or black, tarry stools
• A swollen, hard or very tender tummy
• A high temperature or feeling very unwell

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

While the balloon is in place, many people lose a useful amount of weight, but results vary a lot and a minority lose little. The balloon helps you eat less; the weight loss itself still depends on the diet, activity and support around it.

A gastric balloon does not cure obesity and is not designed to be permanent. After removal, weight is commonly regained unless the new eating and lifestyle habits are maintained. It is best judged not by the weight lost during the few months it is in, but by whether it helps you build changes that last.

The balloon itself is temporary and must be removed by the agreed time (usually 6 months, no longer than about 12) because it can degrade. The weight-loss benefit only lasts if diet and lifestyle changes continue afterwards; without them, weight regain is common. Some people use a balloon as a stepping stone towards, or to prepare for, more durable treatment such as bariatric surgery.

Related tests, treatments or support

A gastric balloon is meant to be combined with a structured weight-management programme: dietitian input, activity advice and behavioural support. It is sometimes used before bariatric surgery in higher-risk people, and acid-reducing medicines are often given alongside to protect the stomach.

Follow-up & long-term care

Good providers include regular follow-up with a dietitian and the team while the balloon is in place, a planned removal appointment, and ongoing support afterwards to help maintain weight loss. You should know in advance who to contact between appointments and what the plan is once the balloon comes out.

• Regular dietitian and programme appointments while the balloon is in
• A planned, timely removal by the agreed date
• Continued diet, activity and behavioural support after removal to limit weight regain
• Acid-reducing medicine for as long as advised
• Prompt reporting of urine colour change, severe pain or persistent vomiting

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Some balloons have to be removed early because of intolerance, persistent vomiting or reflux.
• Weight regain after removal is common without sustained lifestyle change.
• A second balloon or a move to surgery may be considered after one balloon, with specialist advice.
• It does not make later bariatric surgery unnecessary if more durable weight loss is needed.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• A structured programme with dietitian and behavioural support while the balloon is in and after removal.
• Clear, written warning signs (urine colour change, severe pain, persistent vomiting) with a contact any time.
• A planned, timely removal date and process explained from the start.
• Anti-sickness and stomach-protecting medicines and clear diet-stage advice.
• Honest, ongoing discussion about maintaining weight loss and options if more is needed.

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• The type of balloon device used and whether removal is included in the price
• The endoscopist's or specialist's fee and the facility fee
• Throat spray or sedation, and monitoring
• Anti-sickness and acid-reducing medicines
• The dietitian and support programme included with the balloon
• Follow-up appointments while the balloon is in and after removal
• Management of intolerance or any complication, which may add cost

• The cost of both insertion and removal, stated clearly
• The specialist's fee and the facility or unit fee
• Sedation and monitoring charges
• Medicines for nausea and stomach protection
• How many dietitian and follow-up appointments are included, and aftercare once the balloon is out
• Cancellation policy
• What happens, and what it costs, if you cannot tolerate the balloon or a complication occurs

On the NHS? Gastric balloons are not routinely funded on the NHS and are mainly offered privately; the NHS focus is on structured weight-management programmes and, for eligible people, bariatric surgery.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.

• Which balloon device do you use, and what is the evidence for it?
• What weight loss is realistic for someone like me, and what if I lose very little?
• What support, dietitian input and follow-up come with the balloon, and after removal?
• What should I do about severe nausea, dehydration or a urine colour change?
• When and how will the balloon be removed, and what does that cost?
• Would a supervised programme or surgery suit me better than a balloon?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the specialist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified specialist for gastric balloon insertion

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: NICE — Intragastric balloon for managing obesity (interventional procedures guidance) NHS (Hull University Teaching Hospitals) — Gastric balloon for weight reduction NHS (North Bristol) — Intragastric balloon insertion NHS — Weight loss surgery (overview of options) BOMSS — Patient information: managing obesity and surgery

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.