The Intragastric balloon is a non surgical weight loss procedure which has gained a lot of popularity in today’s times. This procedure involves placement of a deflated balloon inside the stomach. This can be done either by endoscopy or directly by pushing it into the food pipe and nowadays this is also possible by directly swallowing a capsule loaded balloon which eventually reaches the stomach. Once onside the stomach, the balloon is inflated with liquid known as saline and depending upon the stomach capacity, the volume might be between 300 ml to 700 ml. The balloon stays in the top most part of the stomach known as fundus and produces a sense a satiety and decreases the hunger sensation. It also slows down the passage of food inside the stomach and delays it’s emptying which in turn decreases food intake and helps in weight loss.
The Intragastric balloon is a technically simple and safe procedure for weight loss with few complications. It doesn’t involve any permanent changes in the body and can be kept for 6 months to 1 year depending upon the type of balloon. The expected total weight loss may be anywhere between 15 kg to 25 kg and also helps in dietary modification and amelioration of obesity related problems. The removal is also simple and can be performed either by endoscopy and in the newer swallow balloon, it is expelled spontaneously by the body after 4-6 months.