Intragastric Balloon

Intragastric balloons are balloons that are placed inside of the stomach. The balloons take up space in the stomach so that patients can eat less food and still feel full. When combined with a qualified program of diet and exercise, intragastric balloons can be effective in producing weight loss. The balloon can be left in for 6 months and then must be removed. Long-term maintenance of the weight loss has been highly variable among different patient groups. Insurance companies do not cover the cost of the balloon which can range anywhere from $7000-10,000 in Texas. Although our surgeons are trained on both balloon systems, they not currently offering balloon treatment as there has been little to no demand in the Corpus Christi market and their concerns over the safety and long-term benefit of balloon treatments. For those seeking balloon treatment, we suggest looking at balloon manufactures websites to find practices currently offering this treatment.