Request a consultationAm I eligible?

Non-surgical · Gastric balloon

Gastric balloon in Ireland

The swallowable and the endoscopic balloon: how each works, how long it stays and what happens after it's gone.

The short answer

A gastric balloon is a soft balloon that sits in your stomach for a few months so you feel full sooner. It isn't surgery: an endoscopic balloon goes in through the mouth under sedation and is taken out the same way after six or twelve months, and a swallowable balloon is swallowed as a capsule and passes naturally after about four months. Weight loss is less than with surgery. It costs about €3,400 to €4,900 in Ireland.

  • €3,400 to €4,900typical cost in Ireland
  • Not surgeryno cuts, nothing removed
  • 4 to 12 monthsin place, by type
  • Self-payusually not insured

Free check · about a minute

Am I eligible?

See where your BMI sits against the usual criteria, what it costs in Ireland and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do. A surgeon always makes the final call.

Your height and weight never leave your device. If you ask a clinic to contact you, we send only a BMI band and your answers, with your consent.

Step 1 of 7

Your height and weight

We work out your BMI here on the page. Nothing is sent.

cm
kg
Your BMI–

Enter your height and weight.

Do you have any of these?

Tick all that apply. These are the conditions surgeons look for at a BMI of 35 to 40.

What have you tried before?

Tick all that apply. A clinic asks this at the first consultation.

Which option are you looking at?

Pick the closest. You can change your mind at the consultation.

How would you like to go about it?

Your result explains the cost and the wait for each route.

When, and where are you?

The clinic uses your county to plan consultations and check-ups near you.

Your result
Where should the clinic contact you?

One Irish clinic gets your enquiry, nobody else. They contact you to arrange a consultation with a surgeon. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Thank you

Your enquiry is on its way to one Irish clinic. Here's what happens next:

  1. Today. We pass your answers to one clinic whose bariatric surgeons are on the Medical Council's Specialist Register. No one else gets them.
  2. Usually within two working days. The clinic rings or texts you to arrange a first consultation.
  3. At the consultation. A surgeon and the team assess you, explain your options and give you a written quote. Nothing is booked unless you say yes.

Changed your mind? Email hello@gastricsleeve.ie and we'll delete your enquiry and tell the clinic.

Swallowable or endoscopic

Swallowable balloonEndoscopic balloon
Going inSwallowed as a capsule on a thin tube, then filled with fluid. An X-ray checks its place.Placed through the mouth with a camera, under sedation
How longAbout four monthsSix months, or twelve for some types
Coming outEmpties by itself and passes naturallyRemoved with a camera, under sedation
A doctor in a white coat talking with a patient in a bright clinic room

Who it suits

A balloon is often discussed at a lower BMI than surgery, by people who don't want an operation, or as a first step before surgery. It's not a long-term answer on its own: the weight you lose while it's in tends to come back unless the eating habits it helps you build stay when it's gone. Good programmes include dietitian support for a year, not just the months the balloon is in.

Side effects

The first days are the hardest: nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps are common while your stomach gets used to the balloon, and the team will give you medicine for them. Rarely, a balloon needs to come out early because of ongoing sickness, or causes more serious problems, which is why you need a team you can reach at any hour while it's in.

Recovery and results

There's no wound to heal. After the sickness of the first days settles, most people are back to normal activities within days. While the balloon is in, you eat small portions and follow the programme's diet. Weight loss is less than with surgery and depends heavily on the programme around it, so ask the clinic for its own typical results and what support continues after the balloon is gone.

Who it isn't for

  • People who've had stomach surgery before, such as a sleeve or a band.
  • People with a large hiatus hernia, stomach ulcers or some bowel conditions.
  • Anyone who's pregnant or planning a pregnancy while the balloon is in.
  • Anyone looking for a permanent result without changing how they eat: the weight tends to return.

Cost and insurance

About €3,400 to €4,900 in Ireland, depending on the type, how long it stays and how long the support programme runs. Irish hospital plans generally exclude weight-reduction treatment other than the bariatric operations they list, so expect to pay yourself. As treatment for obesity by a registered doctor it fits Revenue's rules for health expenses: check with Revenue and keep your receipts. Tax relief.

Questions people ask

How much weight do you lose with a gastric balloon?

Less than with surgery, and the result depends heavily on the programme around it. Ask the clinic what weight loss their patients typically see, and what support you get after the balloon is gone.

Is a swallowable balloon better than an endoscopic one?

It avoids sedation and an endoscopy to remove it, but stays for a shorter time. Which suits you depends on your health and goals.

Does health insurance cover a gastric balloon?

Usually not. Plans generally exclude weight-reduction treatment other than the bariatric operations they list. Ask your insurer before you book.

Read next

Gastric sleeve cost in IrelandWhat a sleeve costs privately, what the quote should include, the costs…Mounjaro, Wegovy or a sleeve?What the weight-loss injections are, how they compare with surgeryWho is eligible (BMI)The BMI criteria used in Ireland, the weight they mean for your height

Free, private, one clinic

Check where you stand in about a minute

Your BMI against the usual criteria, the cost in Ireland, and what the HSE, insurance and tax relief can do.

Check if I'm eligible
Am I eligible?Prices