A gastric balloon is a temporary tool that can help you feel full with smaller meals while you build eating and activity habits for the long term. JourneyLite offers two different balloon pathways: the adjustable Spatz3 balloon and the swallowable Allurion balloon.
This guide explains both options and summarizes JourneyLite’s Preparing For Your Gastric Balloon course. Complete the course assigned by your care team and follow your personal prescription labels and procedure instructions. If anything differs or is unclear, contact us before changing your plan.
Spatz3 and Allurion: two different approaches
Both balloons occupy space in the stomach to support fullness and portion control. Neither changes the stomach permanently or guarantees a particular amount of weight loss. Nutrition counseling, follow-up, and a plan for life after the balloon are part of treatment.
| Feature | Spatz3 | Allurion |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | Placed through the mouth with an endoscope under sedation. | Swallowed as a capsule attached to a thin catheter. X-rays confirm location and filling. |
| Adjustment | Fluid volume can be changed during a separate endoscopic procedure when clinically appropriate. | Not adjusted after placement. |
| Time in the stomach | Must be removed no later than eight months after placement. | Designed to empty and pass after roughly four months; timing varies. |
| End of treatment | Scheduled endoscopic removal with sedation. | No routine removal procedure. Complications can require endoscopy or surgery. |
| Transportation | A responsible adult must drive you home after sedation. | Routine placement does not use sedation. Driving depends on how you feel and the medicines you take. |
Learn more about JourneyLite’s gastric balloon options and the Allurion balloon.
Who may qualify?
In the United States, Spatz3 is indicated for adults with a BMI of 35–40, or a BMI of 30–34.9 with at least one major obesity-related condition, after an unsuccessful supervised weight-control program. Its treatment includes a supervised diet and behavior program.
Allurion is indicated for adults ages 22–65 with a BMI of 30–40 who have had at least one unsuccessful weight-loss program. Its FDA-approved system includes lifestyle treatment and up to two balloons over a ten-month period; this does not mean every patient will receive two balloons.
In some cases these devices can be offered to patients who lie outside these guidelines, which is called off label use.
Meeting an age or BMI range is only part of the assessment. Tell your team about prior abdominal, stomach, or esophageal surgery; swallowing problems; ulcers or bleeding; bowel obstruction; pregnancy or breastfeeding; allergies; and all medicines you take. Your clinician will check the full device-specific restrictions and recommend an appropriate option. Do not stop a prescribed blood thinner or other regular medicine on your own.
References: FDA Spatz3 approval record and FDA Allurion approval record.
Your medicines before and after placement
We utilize the same core medication regimen for both balloons. Fill your prescriptions promptly and check that you have all three medicines. Aprepitant and ondansetron may need to be ordered by the pharmacy. Contact us if anything is missing, unavailable, or too expensive.
| Medicine | Course instructions |
|---|---|
| Omeprazole 40 mg | Take once daily, starting up to 14 days before placement. Fourteen days is preferred but not required. Continue daily for the entire time the balloon is in your stomach, until your team confirms it has been removed or passed. |
| Aprepitant 125 mg / 80 mg / 80 mg | Take the 125 mg dose when you first wake up on placement day, with a small sip of water. Take an 80 mg dose each of the next two mornings. The pharmacy may supply a tri-pack or separate bottles. |
| Ondansetron 8 mg orally dissolving tablets | Start on placement morning after aprepitant. Let the tablet dissolve on or under your tongue. Four doses should be spread across waking hours daily until the prescribed supply is finished; you do not need to wake overnight. Follow your prescription label for the exact schedule. |
Use your own prescription labels. If the label and course differ, contact JourneyLite or your pharmacist to reconcile the instructions. Do not take an extra dose to make up for confusion.
We recommend minimizing NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, and meloxicam while a balloon is present because of stomach irritation and ulcer concerns. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is an option when appropriate for you. If aspirin or another medicine was prescribed for a medical condition, ask the prescribing clinician and balloon team before making a change.
If insurance does not cover a prescription, check GoodRx prices. If another pharmacy has a lower price, call or text us with its information so we can help transfer or resend the prescription.
Preparing for Spatz3 placement
Spatz3 placement is performed at JourneyLite Surgery Center with sedation and a brief endoscopy. The preparation diet helps clear solid food from the stomach.
- Starting 72 hours before placement: soft foods only, without meat or vegetables in any form. Examples include scrambled eggs, yogurt, protein shakes, and canned fruit.
- Starting 48 hours before placement: full liquids only, such as protein shakes, milk, pudding, and smooth cream-based soups.
- Starting 24 hours before placement: clear liquids only, such as broth, sugar-free gelatin or popsicles, and sugar-free clear drinks. Diluted juice up to three times during this period: 2 oz juice mixed with 2 oz water each time.
- After midnight before placement: nothing to eat or drink. Take only medicines approved by your team, including the prescribed placement-morning medicines, with the instructed small sip of water.
Follow the surgery center’s personal fasting instructions if they differ, and contact the team if you are unsure about a cutoff. Confirm your arrival time and complete any requested registration.
Arrange a responsible adult to drive you home and follow the center’s supervision instructions after sedation. Do not plan to drive yourself or use an unaccompanied rideshare. You will recover at the center until the team determines you can leave.
Preparing for Allurion placement
Allurion does not require the Spatz3 three-day preparation diet.
- Stay well hydrated in the days before placement.
- Have a light dinner at least eight hours before your appointment, then switch to clear liquids only.
- Stop all liquids two hours before arrival, following your team’s specific medication instructions.
- Take the prescribed preparation medicines as directed.
- Arrive 15 minutes early without lipstick, lip balm, or neck jewelry.
At the visit, you will complete your weigh-in and app setup. Under the clinician’s supervision, you swallow the capsule containing the balloon, attached to a thin catheter. An X-ray checks that it is in the stomach; the team fills it with fluid, confirms filling with another X-ray, and removes the catheter. Read the Allurion placement guide for more background.
Routine placement uses no sedation, and you may drive afterward. Arrange help if you feel unwell, dizzy, or sleepy from medicines, and have a friend or family member available to check on you afterward.
Eating and drinking after placement
Nausea, reflux, cramping, and vomiting can occur while your stomach adjusts. Use your prescribed medicines and progress slowly with your dietitian’s guidance. Persistent vomiting or inability to keep fluids down needs prompt attention; do not treat it as something you must simply endure.
For both balloons: begin with hydration
Begin with clear liquids during days 1–2. Sip slowly and build toward 48–64 oz of fluid daily unless your team gives a different goal. Examples include water, clear broth, and caffeine-free herbal tea. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks during this phase.
| Balloon | Next stages |
|---|---|
| Allurion | Move gradually into soft foods and purees as tolerated, using smooth soups, protein shakes, and high-protein yogurt. You can start introducing solid food around the first week, according to tolerance and your dietitian’s instructions. |
| Spatz3 | Use full liquids and purees during days 2–7, then soft foods around days 7–14. Solid foods follow around the second week as tolerated. Do not advance while significant nausea, vomiting, or poor hydration persists. |
These are transition windows, not deadlines to force more food. Your dietitian will confirm when to move forward. Once you reach the appropriate stage, examples of soft protein foods include scrambled eggs, canned tuna or chicken, and soft cheese.
- Prioritize protein. Aim for aa goal of about 30 g per meal once you can tolerate meals; your dietitian can tailor this to your needs.
- Separate eating and drinking by 30 minutes.
- Initially avoid tough meats, leafy greens, and hard fruit skins when returning to solid foods.
- Take a daily multivitamin as directed when progressing back to food.
Stock your kitchen before placement with approved broth, protein drinks, smooth yogurt, and gelatin. Ask your dietitian which foods and supplements fit your plan. Visit the JourneyLite store for available products.
Activity, travel, and follow-up
Gentle walking is encouraged on placement day if you feel well and are hydrated. We recommend avoiding strenuous exercise for at least one week and until early symptoms have resolved, and avoiding flights or long-distance travel for 7–10 days after placement. Discuss travel plans with your team in advance.
As you recover, build a sustainable activity plan that includes aerobic movement and resistance exercise suited to your health and ability. Before placement, practice small routines such as walking after meals and making healthy foods easy to reach.
Keep your scheduled provider and dietitian appointments to review symptoms, hydration, diet progression, and progress. Allurion patients should weigh regularly on the connected scale and sync the app as instructed. Digital tracking supplements your clinical follow-up.
Spatz3 adjustments and removal; Allurion natural passage
Spatz3: adjustment is a separate clinical decision
A clinician may consider reducing the balloon volume for ongoing intolerance, or increasing it later if portions grow and weight loss stalls. Call to discuss persistent symptoms or a change in fullness. Do not wait a week to report severe symptoms or poor hydration.
One adjustment and scheduled balloon removal at JourneyLite are included in the Spatz package, while additional requested adjustments carry an extra charge. Confirm your own package and any costs with the team before scheduling.
Spatz3: schedule removal before the eight-month limit
Spatz3 must be removed by eight months after placement. It is not designed to empty and pass naturally. Delayed removal can lead to deflation, migration, bowel obstruction, and emergency surgery.
Plan ahead for your removal by contacting scheduling around six months after placement. Confirm the removal date early enough to stay within the eight-month limit. Removal takes place at JourneyLite Surgery Center with sedation and endoscopy, so you will need a driver again. Obtain your current removal preparation instructions from the team; insertion fasting instructions do not replace the removal plan.
Allurion: passage usually occurs without a procedure
Allurion is designed to open, empty, and pass through the digestive tract after a usual window of 16–20 weeks; FDA labeling describes approximately four months with variable timing. Mild temporary cramping can occur, and some people do not notice the balloon passing.
If you notice passage, let JourneyLite know by text at 513-572-1718 during business hours. You do not need to retrieve the balloon. Ask the team to confirm your next steps and when to stop omeprazole. Severe symptoms at this time still need urgent assessment.
Make a plan for after the balloon
Schedule a provider and dietitian visit about one week before expected passage or planned removal; a virtual appointment may be an option. Review eating habits, activity, and ongoing weight management. Discuss whether a medication or another treatment would be appropriate. Weight regain is possible, so continue follow-up after the balloon is gone.
Symptoms that need prompt attention
Both balloons have risks. In addition to nausea, vomiting, reflux, and abdominal discomfort, complications can include dehydration, ulcers or bleeding, balloon deflation or overinflation, blockage, pancreatitis, or perforation. Treatment can require IV fluids, early removal, endoscopy, or surgery. Discuss the full device-specific risks with your clinician.
Call 513-559-1222 immediately for severe or worsening abdominal or back pain, persistent vomiting or inability to keep fluids down, a swollen or tight abdomen, inability to pass gas with constipation, blood in vomit or stool, fever, or little/no urine or other signs of dehydration. Call 911 or seek emergency care for emergency symptoms, including trouble breathing or chest pain.
Report a sudden loss of fullness or unexpected increase in hunger, especially before expected Allurion passage, because it can signal a balloon problem. Tell any clinician treating you that you have a gastric balloon and carry your device identification card.
More safety information: Spatz3 FDA labeling and the Allurion patient information guide.
Frequently asked questions about Spatz3 and Allurion
Do both balloons use the same preparation diet?
No. Spatz3 requires the three-day progression from soft foods to full liquids to clear liquids, followed by its fasting instructions. Allurion uses a light dinner at least eight hours before the appointment, then clear liquids, with all liquids stopped two hours before arrival. Follow the instructions for your scheduled balloon.
Will I need anesthesia or a driver?
Spatz3 placement, adjustment, and removal involve endoscopy with sedation and require a driver. Routine Allurion placement does not use sedation. Arrange a driver for Allurion if symptoms or medicines would make driving unsafe.
Can I stop omeprazole when I feel better?
No. You should remain on daily omeprazole 40 mg throughout the time the balloon is present. Continue your prescribed regimen and ask the team when to stop after confirmed removal or passage.
Does nausea mean the balloon must be removed?
Not necessarily. Medicines and a gradual diet progression can help early symptoms. Persistent or severe symptoms need assessment. Your clinician may consider additional treatment, a Spatz3 volume adjustment, or early removal when appropriate.
Does Allurion always pass without intervention?
It is designed to empty and pass naturally, so there is no routine removal procedure. Some complications require endoscopy or surgery. Contact the team promptly for warning symptoms rather than waiting for the balloon to pass.
How much weight will I lose?
Results vary with the balloon, your health, eating patterns, activity, and follow-up. A balloon provides temporary support; it does not promise a set number of pounds or lasting weight loss. Your team will help set realistic goals and plan continued treatment.
Do these instructions apply to Orbera or bariatric surgery?
This guide covers Spatz3 and Allurion. If you have an Orbera balloon or are scheduled for sleeve, bypass, band, or SADI surgery, ask for the instructions for that specific procedure.
Stay connected with your JourneyLite team
- Urgent concerns, 24/7: 513-559-1222.
- Non-emergency texts during business hours: 513-572-1718.
- JourneyLite Surgery Center: 513-259-2488 for center logistics.
- Sign in to the balloon course, meet the dietitian team, or find your office.
Call for urgent concerns instead of sending a text, email, or course message. Personal instructions from your clinician take priority over general educational information.