The Gastric Balloon: A Tool To Help Achieve Weight Loss

Spatz3 is the world’s only Adjustable Gastric Balloon System

Gastric balloons are widely considered to be the safest form of treatment for those individuals who are significantly overweight or obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 27 and above. Gastric balloons are the ideal, noninvasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery, lap band surgery and other bariatric surgeries. Gastric balloons are fully reversible and do not require any type of surgical incision. Gastric balloons are inserted under anesthesia during a standard endoscopy.

It’s important to understand that the gastric balloon is a tool to aid weight loss and must be used in conjunction with diet, exercise and a behavior modification program. The amount of weight you lose and the weight loss you maintain will depend on how closely you follow your diet and adopt long-term lifestyle changes. Average weight losses of 16-25 kg have been reported with the Spatz3 gastric balloon over periods of up to 12 months. Keeping the balloon in longer and sticking with the behavior modification guidelines increases your chances of achieving greater weight loss.

Why the Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon?

There are a number of brands of gastric balloons on the market. The Spatz3 gastric balloon has several advantages over other gastric balloons. First, it’s adjustable, which means the balloon’s volume can be easily increased or decreased as needed, to better match your body’s reaction and to maximize your weight loss.


Second, it’s the only gastric balloon to be approved for 12 full months of use. Other gastric balloons must be withdrawn after just 6 months. The longer implantation time gives you a longer time to continue to lose weight with the assistance of the gastric balloon. You also have 6 additional months to master new food and exercise behaviors. That extra time can result in establishing healthy behaviors that stay with you, even after the Spatz3 gastric balloon is removed.

What Is Spatz3 Gastric Balloon?

What Is A Gastric Balloon?

A gastric balloon is a temporary medical device placed in one’s stomach to help reduce weight. A gastric balloon is a quick, nonsurgical procedure and an alternative to bariatric surgery.

A gastric balloon may be an option if an individual’s BMI is between 30 and 40. Though the procedure can only take a couple of minutes, a person’s lifestyle needs some change afterward. With the proper willingness to commit to the professional program crafted by your doctors and dieticians, significant weight loss is a real possibility.

How Does The Spatz3 Balloon Work?

To understand how the Spatz3 gastric balloon works, it is necessary to talk about how our stomach works. The stomach is a receptacle that receives food, mixes it with gastric juices and then pushes it forward. It performs what is called a gastric emptying.

This is where the Spatz gastric balloon comes in. Imagine you have a balloon full of water in your stomach, it would be much more difficult to do the gastric emptying process. All the food would come out, but it would take much longer and it would start to build up, making signals to us that our stomach is full.

Our gastric balloon adjusts according to the size of your stomach and this allows the regulation of the process explained above. For this reason, our adjustable gastric balloon treatment lasts longer than a non adjustable one.

If you want to know more about how our gastric balloon works, we invite you to watch the following video:

How to Choose the Right Gastric Balloon for Weight Loss

If your goal is to lose weight and you are looking for information about which gastric balloon you should choose to achieve your goal, you are in the right place.

Unlike other gastric balloons, the Spatz3 balloon is currently the only adjustable gastric balloon in the world. In other words, it is the only one that can be customised for each individual case thanks to its adjustable property.

In non-comparative studies, Non-adjustable balloons reported success rates of 24.7% to 48.8%, and average weight losses of 14.3 lb To 21.8 lb unlike the Spatz3 gastric balloon which has a success rate of 84% and an average Weight loss of 31.7 lb.

Adjustable vs Non-Adjustable Weight Loss Balloons, Which Gastric Balloon is Best?

There are other gastric balloons besides ours, such as the Single Balloon, the Double Balloon, the Pyloric Blocking Balloon, and the Swallowable Balloon. All of them are not adjustable and this prevents them from adapting to each individual’s body, making it difficult to function if it does not suit you.

At Spatz Medical we believe that the key to success for Spatz patients is adjustability. By having this adjustable property, we know with certainty that our gastric balloon will fit your needs and help you progress on your journey to a healthier life.

There are two main challenges
with gastric balloons

Loss of Balloon Effect

Loss of Balloon Effect

Gastric Balloons lose efficiency by the 4th month (on average) and patients start to regain weight.

Balloon Intolerance

Balloon Intolerance

Approximately 1 out of 10 patients face early extraction due to intolerance.

The Spatz3 Solution

Volume-Adjust Up​​ Gastric Balloon

Volume-Adjust Up​​

Spatz3 patients can have the balloon volume increased, when needed, to help prevent weight regain and to achieve the industry’s highest weight loss results.

Volume-Adjust Down

Volume-Adjust Down​

With the Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon, patients can decrease the volume of the balloon to alleviate balloon intolerance.

Volume-adjust up (bigger)​

Volume-adjust
up (bigger)

Volume-adjust down (smaller)​

Volume-adjust down (smaller)

How to Choose the Right Gastric Balloon for Weight Loss

If you are still undecided about starting your weight loss treatment with us, we recommend you to listen to Arthur’s success story, a patient who has gone through the weight loss process with our adjustable gastric balloon.

FAQs Gastric Balloon

The cost of the Gastric Balloon: the procedure can range from $6,000 to $9,000 and is the cheapest of all weight loss procedures. 

The most common side effects after a gastric balloon procedure are: weakness, nauseas, abdominal pain, spasms, acid reflux, heartburn, bad breath, heaviness, gassiness, fullness and burps.

With a gastric balloon for weight loss, you can eat normal, healthy foods in modest portions to maximize the benefits of the gastric balloon.

While gastric balloons are not covered by insurance yet, there are financing options as well as tax deductions available.

Physically, you must be fit enough to get a gastric balloon. You will be asked not to drink or eat anything six to 12 hours before your procedure. This is to prevent nausea, a common initial side effect of gastric balloon implantation along with vomiting and cramping.

In pregnancy with a gastric balloon it’s recommended to remove the balloon during the pregnancy. While having a gastric balloon during pregnancy is possible, it’s not advised due to the potential that the patient will not be getting enough nutrients for themselves or the baby.

In cases of gastric balloon and pancreatitis, the presentation of the pancreatitis doesn’t occur until late in the procedure and is considered a rare complication.

Gastric balloon and smoking are not compatible as the combination of the two can have major health consequences such as lung problems, stomach ulcers and lower life expectancy.

Gastric balloon and liquid diet are two related concepts as it is necessary to follow a strict liquid diet after the insertion of the Spatz gastric balloon to help the balloon to adapt.

Gastric balloon and food restrictions are common during the first few days after insertion. You’re likely already aware that right before your gastric balloon is inserted and right after, you’ll need to observe a liquid diet for a short period. The liquid diet is comprised of clear liquids with no added sugars. This typically only lasts for about three days.

Gastric balloons for weight loss are non-surgical weight loss balloons that work by making you feel fuller. The balloon is made of silicone and is inserted into your stomach during a non-invasive, outpatient endoscopic procedure that takes less than half an hour. At minimum, people tend to lose 10% to 15% of their starting body weight by the time their gastric balloon for weight loss is removed. Others experience twice that amount and can lose up to 30% of their starting weight.

Gastric balloon pros and cons: by one side, gastric balloon is a non-invasive insertion, removable procedure at any point and have a mesurable weight loss results. On the other hand,  you can experiment side effects after the procedure and 10% of people don’t tolerate the balloon. 

Gastric balloon removal costs are usually not covered by insurance and while there are plans for financing, many look for creative means to pay for their gastric balloon insertion and removal.

The stomach balloon for weight loss for the same reason that other bariatric procedures result in weight loss—the stomach believes it is full. When your stomach feels fuller faster than usual, you naturally consume fewer calories. This naturally results in weight loss.

How do you sleep after gastric balloon: After the first few weeks, you should be cleared to sleep normally. This means sleep on your back or on your side. Back or side sleep will allow your body’s natural digestive processes to function while you are resting.If it doesn’t matter which side you sleep on, then your left side is the best side to sleep on as some studies show that it reduces reflux. Importantly, either side is fine as long as you’re comfortable.

There are several foods that you cannot eat with the gastric balloon: carbonated beverage,caffeine,alcohol,potato chips, snack cakes,candy,cookies, fried foods,donuts,pastries,white rice, French fries,bread,steaks,hamburgers,fatty cheeses.

Drive with a gastric balloon is not allowed. Plan for at least 3-4 days of inactivity after you get your gastric balloon inserted. If all goes well and you’re off of any medications you were given, then you should be safe to drive.

It is safe to fly with a gastric balloon. For example, some wonder if you will have any issues getting through security with a gastric balloon. The answer is ‘no’. Because the gastric balloon is silicone, there isn’t any possibility that a metal detector or an X-Ray machine will pick up the gastric balloon.

Can you work with a gastric balloon. As you recover, you will need to plan to not work after a gastric balloon procedure especially if your job is strenuous. It’s typical for it to take up to 4-7 days before you can and should return to work. While you are at home, you should plan to rest after gastric balloon insertion.

There are people who are not ideal candidates for a gastric balloon. To be able to insert a gastric balloon you need to meet the following requirements: body mass index or BMI of 27-30. It depends on where you live, some areas require the minimum BMI to be 30 to 40 and no prior history of weight loss or esophageal surgeries. Finally, good overall physical health.

In the first phase, the balloon does the majority of work for you. While in the second phase, you need to make the effort to change your behavior and lifestyle, to achieve successful results.

When using the gastric balloon for weight loss, you should always balance your macronutrients throughout the day.

Mindfulness can help build this part of the brain while helping you understand the reasons for your eating behavior.

The gastric balloon will help you reduce the amount of high cholesterol foods, and will lead to an improvement in your diet and eating habits.

Gastric Balloon Vs

Gastric balloon and liposuction are two weight loss techniques. Liposuction is a fast-sucking procedure that can be used on multiple parts of the body, with stomach liposuction being the most common. Liposuction can be done in four different ways, ranging from outpatient to surgery

Gastric balloon and ESG are two endoscopic weight loss procedures. The endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is inserted under general anesthesia. It’s still endoscopic, but it’s a little more involved. Doctors will also use a camera, so they can see where to place the sutures without making cuts to the inside of your abdomen. The sutures change the structure of the stomach and inhibit appetite.

Gastric balloon and gastric botox are two weight-loss procedures. Gastric Botox is an endoscopic procedure in which gastric Botox injections are provided in the stomach for weight loss. The injections suppress appetite. Both gastric balloons and gastric Botox for weight loss require dietary changes to be effective

The gastric balloon and the LAP-band are two weight loss systems. One of the biggest differences between LAP-Bands and gastric balloons is their insertion method. While gastric balloon insertion is a non-surgical, brief endoscopic process, a stomach band is inserted surgically. Stomach band surgery is performed via a laparoscopic procedure that’s considered to be minimally invasive and involves a band being put around a portion of the stomach to reduce its capacity

While gastric balloon procedures are done without surgery, bariatric surgery refers to major surgeries conducted on a patient’s stomach or intestines. The most common bariatric procedures are sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, and gastric banding.

Gastric balloon and pill are two weight loss techniques. Both gastric balloons and gastric balloon pills do the same thing, which is that they non-surgically insert a balloon into your stomach that is expanded to reduce your appetite. Both pills and gastric balloons have been shown to result in anywhere from 10-30% of body weight loss depending on various circumstances including your own devotion to diet and exercise.

Gastric balloon and gastric sleeve are two procedures for weight loss. Gastric balloons are not surgical. They are the most natural weight loss intervention because the balloon is inserted via an outpatient. The gastric sleeve stomach intervention is a surgical procedure. During bariatric sleeve surgery, a portion of your stomach is removed.

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*Cannot draw firm conclusions without head-to- head studies
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