The ‘balloon’ in the Intragastric Balloon System is a soft, deflated device made of latex-free silicon-based material. It is referred to as an ‘intragastric’ or ‘gastric’ balloon because it will remain in your stomach for a period of time after we pass the deflated material through your mouth, esophagus, commonly called the food pipe, into your stomach. Conventionally, the expandable balloon is inserted into your stomach by using an endoscope, a thin, flexible tubular instrument with a camera and light attached to it, which allows us to view inside your body.  However, with technological advancements, there are swallowable intragastric pills that do not call for an endoscopic procedure for the insertion of the inflatable balloon.

The ‘balloon’ in the Intragastric Balloon System is a soft, deflated device made of latex-free silicon-based material. It is referred to as an ‘intragastric’ or ‘gastric’ balloon because it will remain in your stomach for a period of time after we pass the deflated material through your mouth, esophagus, commonly called the food pipe, into your stomach. Conventionally, the expandable balloon is inserted into your stomach by using an endoscope, a thin, flexible tubular instrument with a camera and light attached to it, which allows us to view inside your body.  However, with technological advancements, there are swallowable intragastric pills that do not call for an endoscopic procedure for the insertion of the inflatable balloon.