Gastric Balloon in Turkey. Non-Surgical Weight Loss Solution. The gastric balloon is a temporary, non-surgical weight loss aid where a soft silicone balloon is placed in the stomach endoscopically (or swallowed) and filled with saline to create a feeling of fullness.
The gastric balloon is a temporary, non-surgical weight loss aid where a soft silicone balloon is placed in the stomach endoscopically (or swallowed) and filled with saline to create a feeling of fullness. It remains for 6-12 months as part of a supervised weight loss program.
🔹 No surgery or incisions required
🔹 Effective for mild to moderate obesity
🔹 Short procedure time (15-20 minutes)
🔹 Reversible and temporary
🔹 Ideal preparation for bariatric surgery
✔ BMI 27-35 without weight-related health issues
✔ Those needing to lose 20-50 lbs for an upcoming event
✔ Patients who want to "test" portion control before surgery
✔ Individuals not ready for permanent surgical options
🔸 Orbera 365 Balloon - FDA-approved, 12-month option
🔸 Elipse Balloon - No endoscopy needed (swallowable)
🔸 Spatz3 Adjustable Balloon - Can be resized during treatment
🔸 Endoscopic Placement - Quick procedure under mild sedation
🕒 First 3-5 Days:
🩺 Week 1-2:
🕒 Months 1-6:
⚠ Removal at 6-12 Months:
The balloon is placed inside the stomach and nothing is cut, stapled or permanently altered. It occupies volume so that smaller portions feel satisfying and slows gastric emptying, so fullness lasts longer between meals. Because it is temporary, it works as a supervised training period for eating habits rather than a stand-alone treatment.
Six-month balloons are the classic option: placed and removed by endoscopy, they suit patients who want a shorter, well-defined programme. Twelve-month balloons stay in place longer and give more time to consolidate new habits; some are adjustable, so the volume can be increased if the effect fades or reduced if tolerance is poor.
A swallowable balloon needs no endoscopy at all: it is swallowed as a capsule, filled through a thin tube, and later empties by itself and passes naturally, so no removal procedure is required. Which type fits you depends on your BMI and how long you want the programme to run.
In most cases you go home the same day, after a few hours of observation.
Appetite returns once the balloon is out, and weight regain is the main risk of the method. The months with the balloon are therefore used to build portion control, a protein-led eating pattern and a regular activity routine, and dietitian follow-up continues after removal. Some patients use the balloon as a bridge before deciding on gastric sleeve surgery or gastric bypass surgery.
Medicape Health is based in Adana and carries out endoscopic procedures in contracted hospitals with a sedation team on site. Your history and BMI are reviewed before you travel, so the balloon type is agreed in advance. A typical stay:
Most patients plan for around four to five days. Removal requires a second short visit unless a swallowable balloon has been used.
Nausea, cramping and reflux are common in the first days and are treated with medication; in a small number of cases they do not settle and the balloon has to be removed early. Rarer problems include gastric ulceration, deflation with migration, and obstruction, so persistent vomiting or abdominal pain must be reported immediately. Results vary between individuals and no amount of weight loss can be promised.
🎯 Most Balloon Options in Turkey - 4 different systems available
👨⚕️ Board-Certified Endoscopists - 500+ balloon placements annually
📊 Comprehensive 6-Month Program - Includes dietitian and coaching
💲 All-Inclusive Pricing - 60% less than US/Europe
To compare options, read about gastric sleeve surgery, gastric bypass surgery and type 2 diabetes surgery, all part of our general surgery department.
Gastric balloons are available in two main formats: a balloon that stays in place for six months, and an adjustable balloon designed to remain for twelve months. Both are placed endoscopically without surgery and both work by partially filling the stomach so that you feel full sooner. The difference is how long the balloon supports you and how much of the weight-loss journey it covers.
| 6-Month Balloon | 12-Month Balloon | |
| Time in the stomach | 6 months | 12 months |
| Adjustable | No | Yes, volume can be increased or decreased endoscopically |
| Typical weight-loss window | Most loss in the first 3 to 4 months | Longer, more gradual loss with a second phase after adjustment |
| Suits best | BMI roughly 27 to 35, a defined short-term goal, or preparation before surgery | BMI roughly 30 to 40, a longer habit-change period needed, or previous rapid regain |
| Adaptation symptoms | Nausea and cramps in the first 3 to 7 days | Same; the adjustable design allows volume to be reduced if symptoms persist |
| Removal | Endoscopic, about 20 minutes | Endoscopic, about 20 minutes |
In practice, the twelve-month balloon is chosen by patients who know that changing eating habits will take them more than half a year, and by patients who lost weight quickly with a previous method but regained it. The six-month balloon suits patients with a clear, shorter goal, such as losing weight before another operation or fitting into a specific life event. The dietitian follow-up that Medicape Health arranges runs for the full time the balloon is in place, in both cases.
At your online consultation, the surgeon reviews your BMI, medical history and previous weight-loss attempts and recommends one of the two formats. Neither is "better" in general; the right one is the one that matches how long you need support.
What is a gastric balloon and how is it placed?
A soft silicone balloon is placed in the stomach and filled with saline, so that you feel full sooner and eat smaller portions. Most balloons are inserted endoscopically under light sedation in about 15-20 minutes, while the swallowable type is taken as a capsule and needs no endoscopy. There are no incisions and your anatomy is not altered in any way.
Who is a suitable candidate for a gastric balloon?
It is mainly intended for people with a BMI of roughly 27-35 who need to lose a moderate amount of weight, who are not ready for bariatric surgery or do not yet qualify for it, or who want to reduce their weight before another operation. It is not suitable for patients with a large hiatal hernia, previous stomach surgery, active ulcers or certain other gastric conditions, which is why an endoscopic assessment always comes first.
Is this an operation, and will I need general anaesthesia?
No surgery is involved. Endoscopic placement is carried out under mild sedation and you are usually discharged the same day or after one night of observation. The swallowable balloon requires no sedation at all, only an imaging check to confirm that it is correctly positioned.
How long does the balloon stay in place and how is it removed?
Depending on the system chosen, the balloon remains in the stomach for 6-12 months. Endoscopic balloons are taken out in a short procedure under sedation, while the swallowable type empties by itself and passes naturally. Leaving a balloon in longer than its approved period is not safe, so the removal date is agreed in advance.
What should I expect in the first days after placement?
Nausea, cramping, reflux and occasional vomiting are common during the first three to five days while the stomach adapts, and anti-nausea medication is provided. You follow a liquid diet at first and then move on to soft foods. Symptoms that do not settle should be reported, because a small number of patients do not tolerate the balloon and need it removed early.
How much weight can be lost with a gastric balloon, and will it come back?
Within a supervised diet and exercise programme, average loss is in the region of 10-15% of total body weight, although individual results vary considerably. The balloon is a support rather than a treatment in itself: if old eating habits return after removal, weight regain is likely. For that reason dietitian follow-up continues throughout the programme and after the balloon is taken out.
How long do I need to stay in Turkey and when can I go back to work?
A stay of about three to four days in Adana is usually enough, covering the pre-procedure endoscopy, the placement and a follow-up check before departure. Most people return to desk work within two to three days, although appetite and energy levels may be low during the first week.
Can I still have bariatric surgery later if the balloon is not enough?
Yes. Because the balloon does not change your anatomy, gastric sleeve or gastric bypass remains fully possible afterwards, and a balloon is sometimes used deliberately to lower surgical risk in patients with a very high BMI. Whether you continue with a lifestyle programme, a further balloon or surgery is decided together with your surgeon and dietitian once your results have been reviewed.
How long does a gastric balloon last?
Six months for the standard balloon and twelve months for the adjustable balloon. After that period the balloon is removed endoscopically; it is not designed to stay longer.
Can a 6-month balloon be extended to 12 months?
No. The six-month balloon must be removed at six months. Patients who want a longer period choose the twelve-month adjustable balloon from the start.
What does "adjustable" mean for the 12-month balloon?
The volume of the balloon can be increased or decreased through a short endoscopic procedure while it is in place. Volume is typically increased after a few months to renew the feeling of fullness, or decreased if adaptation symptoms are troublesome.
What happens after the balloon is removed?
Removal is a short endoscopic procedure under sedation. The stomach returns to its normal capacity, so the eating habits built during the balloon period are what keep the weight off. Follow-up with the dietitian continues after removal.
Is a 12-month balloon better than a 6-month balloon?
Not in general. The twelve-month balloon gives more time to change habits and allows adjustment; the six-month balloon is enough for patients with a shorter, well-defined goal. Your surgeon recommends one based on your BMI and history.
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| Hospital-Based Endoscopy Unit Sedation Team and Monitoring on Site |
Temporary, Non-Surgical Weight Support Placed and Removed Endoscopically |
| Although no incision is made, a gastric balloon is still placed under sedation. Medicape Health arranges it in contracted Adana hospitals with an endoscopy unit, an anaesthesia team and observation facilities. | The balloon is a temporary device, not an operation. Nothing is cut, stapled or permanently altered, and the programme is built around the months it stays in place and the habits established during them. |
The gastric balloon holds an unusual position: it is a medical procedure but not surgery, and it is temporary by design. That changes what travelling for it involves, from the length of stay to the question of who removes it.
Turkey has a broad endoscopic infrastructure, which is why several balloon systems are available here within the same programme rather than one product per clinic. Six-month and twelve-month balloons, adjustable systems and swallowable capsule balloons each suit a different profile, and choosing between them is a clinical decision, not a catalogue choice.
Medicape Health coordinates the process from Adana. Your BMI, reflux history and any previous stomach surgery are reviewed before you travel, so the balloon type is discussed in advance. A large hiatal hernia, an active ulcer or earlier gastric surgery may rule the method out entirely, which is why a diagnostic endoscopy always comes first.
Because the balloon is temporary, the programme is judged by what happens around it rather than by the placement alone. The first days need anti-nausea treatment and a supervised liquid phase; the following months are dietitian-led. Appetite returns once the balloon is removed, and results vary between individuals, so no specific amount of weight loss can be promised.
A gastric balloon programme in Turkey usually includes:
Tell us briefly about your case and our patient coordinator will get back to you with the details.
For a non-surgical procedure, patients compare the range of systems available, the setting in which sedation takes place and the strength of the dietitian programme. Turkey leads in endoscopic weight management because all three run through a single coordinated pathway.
Key advantages of choosing Turkey for a gastric balloon:
Adana makes the logistics simpler. It is a medical city with its own international airport, so the stay stays short and the observation hours after sedation are spent close to the hospital.
A Partnership Backed by International Trust
Medicape Health works in partnership with Medline Adana Hospital, a long-standing healthcare provider for the international community, including U.S. personnel associated with İncirlik Air Base.
A Relationship Recognized Since 2015
Medline Hospital’s quality of care and patient experience were recognized by the Commander of the U.S. Air Force 39th Medical Group in 2015.
About our partner hospitalA gastric balloon in Turkey is generally more accessible than in most Western European systems, while still being placed in a hospital endoscopy setting. There is no single price, because the balloon type and the length of the supporting programme differ from patient to patient.
Factors that influence the price of a gastric balloon:
Medicape Health therefore confirms the balloon type before discussing cost. A price quoted before your endoscopy report has been seen assumes a system that may not be suitable for your stomach.
| Comparison Criteria |  Turkey |
 United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Endoscopic Expertise | High annual balloon volume in hospital endoscopy units | Qualified endoscopists with volumes varying by provider |
| Technology & Systems | Several systems available, including adjustable and swallowable options | Usually a narrower selection of systems per provider |
| Waiting Time | Assessment and placement often possible within one short stay | Consultation and procedure across separate appointments |
| Treatment Packages | Endoscopy, placement, sedation, accommodation and transfers together | Device and procedure priced separately from added services |
| Devices Used | Six-month, twelve-month, adjustable and capsule balloons in one pathway | System availability depending on the clinic |
| Customization Level | Balloon type matched to BMI, reflux findings and programme length | Standardised offering with limited system choice |
| International Patient Experience | Removal planning, interpreters and remote dietitian follow-up | Designed primarily for local patients |
| Privacy & Comfort | Discreet, short stay with dedicated medical travel support | Local treatment with limited discretion |
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