Türkiye lifts ban on ingestible gastric balloon procedure

ANKARA

The Health Ministry has lifted the ban on the use of swallowable gastric balloons, a non-surgical obesity treatment tool.

The European Commission had prohibited the sale of swallowable gastric balloons due to incidents where they were inserted improperly or by non-specialists. In response, Türkiye followed suit and banned the products earlier this year.

However, following the completion of a review by the commission, the ministry determined that the product no longer presents significant health risks.

Despite the lifting of the ban, the product must only be available for use in hospital settings, Professor Dr. Oktay Banlı, the president of the Turkish Obesity Surgery Foundation, pointed out.

This is particularly linked to the fact that the product caused complications in some patients as a result of improper insertion or use without proper medical supervision. These complications included stomach and intestinal issues.

Last year, the swallowable gastric balloon was administered to around 6,500 individuals in Türkiye and 25,000 in Europe.