How Much Does a Gastric Balloon Cost?

The average cost of a gastric balloon is $3,796, according to reviews from RealSelf members. 

However, the cost of this nonsurgical weight-loss procedure can range from $1,422 to $7,500, depending on a few key factors, including which brand you choose. Read on to find out why you might pay more or less, and whether the cost is really worth it.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About a Gastric Balloon

Is the gastric balloon worth the money?

RealSelf members give a gastric balloon procedure a 57% Worth It rating, but specific gastric balloon brands have wildly different ratings:

• Allurion has a 98% Worth It Rating
• Obalon has a 40% Worth It Rating
• Orbera has a 33% Worth It Rating

If you’re a candidate for bariatric surgery due to your medical history and where you fall on the body mass index scale, it may be worth researching more invasive forms of bariatric surgery (like gastric bypass surgery or a gastric sleeve, which have significantly higher Worth It Ratings than both FDA-approved balloons) before determining which procedure will help you achieve your long-term weight-loss goals. 

Related: The Best Weight-Loss Procedures, According to Doctors and RealSelf Members

An experienced provider will be your best resource for understanding how these treatments work and which one may best suit your needs. They can also help you determine whether your weight loss surgery might be covered by insurance.

What affects the cost of a gastric balloon?

Several factors influence the cost of a gastric balloon procedure, including:

1) Your provider’s credentials and level of experience. 

Choosing a provider who’s a board-certified gastroenterologist or bariatric surgeon with years of experience and advanced training will likely cost more than seeing an internal medicine physician, especially if they aren't board certified. 

Don’t cut corners here: a gastric balloon comes with risks and side effects, and a more experienced provider will be better able to help avoid them.

2) Where you have your gastric balloon procedure performed. 

Intragastric balloon procedures come with steeper prices in major metro areas with a higher cost of living. 

Your procedure will also be more expensive if it's performed in a hospital setting versus an ambulatory surgical center or surgeon's office.

Many patients interested in weight-loss procedures travel to bariatric clinics in places like Mexico, where these procedures are often performed for a fraction of what you’d pay in the United States. 

Especially if you choose to travel, be sure to research the provider performing the procedure, including their patient reviews and complication rates, before booking with them. 

3) Whether you have to pay a consultation fee. 

Before you choose your provider, you'll have a consultation, where they'll determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for this outpatient procedure. This will include a discussion of your health and medical history, including your body weight and BMI. This is also your opportunity to ask questions and make sure you'll be in good hands.

While some providers offer complimentary consultations, not all do. You may end up paying a few hundred dollars for a consult, but in most cases, that cost will be applied to your procedure once you book it. 

4) The type of gastric balloon procedure you have.

There are a few different gastric balloon procedure options, each with a different average price. 

• The Obalon balloon is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people with a BMI of 30 to 40. Obalon balloons don't require an endoscopy to be placed, since patients simply swallow the balloons' capsules, but they do require three appointments to swallow a series of three balloons. Six months later, an endoscopic procedure is required to remove them. Average cost: $8,025
• The Orbera gastric balloon is also FDA-approved. Your physician will first perform a diagnostic endoscopy to confirm that you're a good candidate. There will also likely be a fee to an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist for the sedation aspect of the procedure, which involves inserting a long, flexible tube with an attached camera down your throat and into your esophagus.  If you’re deemed a candidate for Orbera, your doctor will either insert the balloon while you’re sedated or you will swallow it yourself, after which they'll confirm that the balloon placement is correct and then fill the device with sterile saline solution. The gastric balloon as well as the provider’s time will cost money. Orbera balloon removal requires a second endoscopic procedure. Average cost: $6,925

• The Allurion gastric balloon (formerly known as Elipse) is not yet FDA-approved, but it's available in over 40 other countries, primarily across Europe. Allurion is the first gastric balloon that doesn't require an endoscopic procedure to place or remove it, which helps keep its cost lower than other balloons. Average cost: $4,800 

5) Costs related to your weight-loss support team.

Once the gastric balloon is removed, your stomach's capacity will return to its previous size. That means that making and adhering to healthy lifestyle changes while you have your gastric balloon in place is key to reducing the amount of food you consume and seeing significant weight loss that lasts long after the balloon system has been removed. 

Most providers include long-term follow-up care as a part of their fee, but particularly if you've traveled for your procedure, you may want to hire your own support to help you stay on the path to weight-loss success.

• A personal trainer can help you increase your physical activity through a regular exercise routine. They can guide you through workouts and weight-lifting exercises, as well as create a personalized exercise program to make fitness a part of your daily lifestyle and maintain your weight-loss results. In addition to paying a personal trainer, you’ll likely want to join a gym or purchase some at-home exercise equipment to make it easier to stick to an exercise plan. 
• A nutritionist and/or dietitian can help you develop healthy eating habits and maintain portion control. These experts can even provide meal plans and recipes to help promote positive dietary changes that often make losing weight less of a challenge. Your provider may include nutritional coaching as part of their price, so be sure to ask about this during your consultation. 
• A psychologist or therapist can help you better understand your relationship with food and develop it into a more positive one. Some manufacturers of gastric balloons, like Orbera, also offer the option of paying for an online coach to provide more guidance and encouragement.

Why is the gastric balloon so expensive?

Aside from the balloon itself, the Obalon and Orbera gastric balloons are so expensive largely due to the required endoscopic procedure, which incurs fees for the ballon itself, medical practitioners (the one inserting the balloon, as well as an anesthesiologist or anesthetist), the facility fee for where the endoscopy is performed. 

It’s also worth noting that, unlike some bariatric procedures, gastric balloon costs are not covered by health insurance, so you’ll have to pay for the procedure entirely out of pocket.