Did Sarah Fraisou have a gastric balloon? Yes — and she explained everything

As Purepeople reported on 18 August 2020, she explained the situation herself: “J'ai tout simplement retiré mon ballon gastrique et je l'ai remplacé par un autre” — she simply had her gastric balloon removed and replaced with a new one.

The timing was forced by the pandemic, she said: “Ça faisait huit mois que je l'avais et avec le Covid j'étais bloquée.” A balloon is meant to stay in place six months at most, and hers had overstayed. “J'étais obligée de l'enlever” — she had no choice — because “ça pouvait devenir dangereux pour mon estomac”: it could become dangerous for her stomach. She also drew a clear line between her method and bigger operations, saying she had not had a sleeve or a bypass, which she called “des opérations très lourdes” — very heavy operations. Her gastroenterologist, she added, was very happy with her results.

That is what this article relies on: her quoted words in the report. Everything below describes the gastric balloon and bariatric options in general, not her treatment.

The first half is the result: with the balloon's help — and with diet changes it enforces — she lost over 30 kilos, well above the usual 10 to 15. The balloon works by occupying space in the stomach, so portions shrink naturally; it is a training tool for appetite, not a machine that melts fat.

The second half is the discipline it demands. A balloon is a temporary device with a strict clock: typically six months, because beyond that the stomach acid can degrade it and complications become more likely — exactly the danger she described when the pandemic delayed her replacement. Anyone considering a balloon should plan the removal date as firmly as the placement, and should hear clearly what she pointed out herself: it is not a sleeve, not a bypass, and not comparable in scale to those operations.

Candidacy is assessed individually — weight, health history and eating patterns all matter, and the choice is made at a consultation, not from a celebrity story.

• Understand the clock: the balloon is temporary — placement and removal dates are both part of the plan.
• Prepare for the diet stages: liquids, then soft food, then normal textures; the balloon only works together with new eating habits.
• Keep the follow-up: regular check-ups during the months the balloon is in place are what make it safe.

Over the months the balloon stays in, weight loss of roughly 10 to 15 kilos is typical — Sarah Fraisou's result was exceptional, not the standard. After removal, keeping the weight off depends entirely on the habits built while the balloon was in place.

To be clear: City Medical Centre has no connection with Sarah Fraisou or her treatment. Her story is quoted here only because she chose to talk about her balloon openly.