Gastric Balloon (6 months) in Madrid

This treatment is primarily aimed at individuals with a BMI over 27, who have also already attempted to lose weight through diet and exercise and have not achieved the expected results.

Gastric balloon placement is indicated for patients with a BMI between 27 and 40; that is, profiles with overweight or mild to moderate obesity.

The Gastric balloon (6 months) modality is mainly aimed at patients with a BMI between 25 and 34 (guideline values associated with an overweight or mild obesity profile); whereas the Gastric balloon (12 months) treatment is indicated for patients with a BMI over 35 (moderate or severe obesity profile).

Additional requirements for the treatment include the patient not having previously undergone another bariatric surgery, and not having been diagnosed with hiatus hernias or ulcers in the stomach area.

The placement of a gastric balloon (6 months) at the Hospital Universitario HLA Moncloa is a non-surgical treatment: it does not involve incisions or open surgery.

It is a 100% endoscopic procedure performed under sedation so that the patient feels no pain during the process and remains asleep.

1. On the day of the balloon placement, you must attend the hospital having fasted from liquids and solids for at least 8 hours. As mentioned, the procedure is performed under deep sedation, with the aim of ensuring you are comfortable and feel no pain during the device placement process.
2. Once you are sedated and asleep, the specialist begins the procedure. First, a camera is inserted to perform an endoscopic review and ensure that everything is correct in the stomach and oesophagus, and that there is no trace of hernias, active ulcers or other conditions.
3. Once the review has concluded, the balloon is inserted through the mouth with the help of an endoscope and a catheter. The balloon is inserted deflated into the patient's stomach, and once it is confirmed to be inside, the device is filled with saline solution until the necessary volume is reached. This saline is usually mixed with a dye called methylene blue for safety reasons, as it helps to detect potential leaks in the balloon through the urine.
4. Finally, it is verified that the position of the balloon is correct before removing the endoscope and the catheter, leaving the balloon free in the stomach.

Once the intervention is over, you are taken to a recovery room where you are monitored until you recover from the sedation.

The total duration of the placement treatment is 15 to 30 minutes.

This bariatric treatment is an outpatient service: you return home on the same day of the procedure without the need for a hospital stay.

Do I need to do any prior preparation before having the balloon placed?

Yes, it is necessary to follow a liquid diet in the days prior (2-5 days) to the treatment, as it is important to prepare the stomach for the placement of the device.

Furthermore, it is important to attend having fasted completely for a minimum of 8 hours on the day of the balloon placement.
As it is not an invasive surgery and does not require general anaesthesia, it is not necessary to undergo a full preoperative study before the procedure.

Even so, a prior medical evaluation is carried out during the surgical assessment consultation in which your medical records, BMI, and previous blood tests are reviewed; in some special cases, you may be requested to undergo diagnostic tests such as an electrocardiogram or digestive tests.

During the first 3 days after the balloon placement, it is normal to experience various symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting or a feeling of bloating, as the stomach must adapt to the balloon.

The specialist usually prescribes medication to the patient to help with these symptoms during the first few days; even so, it is normal to feel discomfort even with the help of medication.

Regarding the diet you must follow during the first few days after discharge, it is necessary to start with a liquid-based diet and then progressively adapt the stomach to a solid diet:

• During the first 5 days, you must mainly consume liquids such as water, broths, herbal teas, light cream soups, and yoghurts or protein shakes.
• From the fifth day onwards, you can begin to consume soft solids and then gradually move towards a normal diet.

It is also very important to rest and avoid strenuous efforts during the first few days of the post-operative period. From 2-3 days after discharge, you can begin to lead a normal life with caution, and depending on your occupation, you may even return to your place of work.

In less than 1 week, you can return to a normal life and resume your daily activities.

Evolution during the months of the gastric balloon treatment (6 months)

As the weeks pass, the stomach fully adapts to the balloon and the results begin to be noticed during the first weeks: there is a significant reduction in the patient's appetite, and progressive and significant weight loss.

During the months of the treatment, patients usually lose 10-20% of the body weight with which they started the treatment, which is approximately 10-15 kg.

It is important to bear in mind that during this period you must adapt your eating habits, to prepare yourself physically and psychologically for the removal of the balloon.

Once the treatment ends and the time comes for the removal of the balloon, you must continue working to maintain the weight achieved, avoid the rebound effect and continue with the new eating habits adapted during the process.

Once the 6 months of treatment have been completed, it is time to remove the gastric balloon from the stomach.

1. Prior preparation: as with the placement procedure, you must follow a liquid diet in the 48-72 h prior to the day of the device removal to prepare the stomach.
2. On the day of the balloon removal, you must attend having fasted from liquids and solids for at least 8 hours.
3. Before starting the removal procedure, deep sedation is administered so that you are asleep during the process.
4. Once you are sedated, the endoscope is inserted through the mouth until it reaches the stomach.
5. With the help of a needle catheter, the balloon is punctured and then all the liquid inside is aspirated until it is deflated.
6. Once empty, the balloon is removed with the help of surgical forceps through the mouth.
7. Before removing the endoscope, the stomach is reviewed to check that everything is correct.

The entire gastric balloon removal procedure lasts approximately 15-30 minutes.

The cost of the Gastric balloon (6 months) treatment in Madrid through Operarme is 5.600 €.

This is a fixed price with everything included and without extras or final surprises: you will know the final price of your treatment before confirming that you are going ahead with the process or making the payment.

Furthermore, this fixed price includes all the elements and services necessary to ensure the success of your bariatric treatment.
Below is the breakdown of everything included in the cost of the gastric balloon treatment at Operarme:

• Booking of operating room.
• Medical fees, anaesthetists and nursing team.
• Outpatient stay.
• Necessary medication and surgical material for the procedure.
• Balloon.
• Sedation and recovery room booking.
• Medical complications insurance, which covers potential eventualities that may occur to the patient during the gastric balloon placement procedure and in the 30 days following the intervention.
• 1 Post-operative consultation after medical discharge.

To request a surgical assessment consultation with the HLA Moncloa Bariatric Surgery Team, click on the “Request appointment” button and solve your weight problems in the safest and quickest way: