33-year-old London woman nearly died after £4.5k gastric balloon got ‘stuck’ in her intestines

A London woman who spent thousands of dollars on weight loss surgery was left fighting for her life after suffering a rare complication in which a gastric balloon became stuck in her intestines.

Alaina Shaw, 33 and weighing 165kg, paid £4,500 for the procedure, which involves swallowing a capsule that swells in the stomach and reduces appetite.

If all goes according to plan, the balloon will move naturally through the body without needing to be removed.

But the former accountant says she felt like she was going to die when the balloon became stuck in her body after being transported from her stomach to her intestines.

Mrs Shaw, from Uxbridge, west London, said: ‘I haven’t lost any weight and I thought I was going to die. I want to warn people about the dangers of this type of surgery.’

Alaina Shaw underwent a gastric balloon procedure that ended in a near-death experience

The 33-year-old didn’t lose any weight after her gastric balloon procedure in November 2023

Ms Shaw underwent the operation in November last year at a local private hospital after doctors told her she could lose up to 20 per cent of her body weight within four months.

“It would be a temporary thing: you take a pill, they fill it with saline solution and then they take an X-ray to see if it’s still there,” she said.

The pain started immediately after the balloon was placed.

‘I was in a lot of pain, it felt like a foreign body, but they assured me I would feel better.’

But as the weeks went by, Mrs. Shaw noticed she wasn’t losing any weight and her appetite was still exactly the same.

She decided to contact the practice, but claimed they were ‘fobbing her off’.

‘They didn’t seem to be trying to help me. I said it was becoming a joke – I wasn’t losing any weight – I hadn’t lost a stone.’

An examination revealed that the balloon had migrated from Mrs Shaw’s stomach into her intestines

Ms Shaw is now demanding a full refund of the clinic’s funds

Ms Shaw demanded an appointment with the clinic but claims she was told it would be unwise to have a ‘young, healthy woman’ x-rayed.

Within days she was rushed to hospital, ‘literally crying in pain’.

At the hospital, doctors performed a laparoscopic procedure and discovered that the balloon had not dissolved, but was stuck in her intestines.

‘I ended up in hospital wondering if I would survive. I was in intensive care for two days – I was afraid I would die.’

After two weeks in intensive care, she was discharged from hospital, but she was left in limbo as she had just quit her job as an account manager to start her own dog walking business.

“It was the worst moment I could imagine because I couldn’t work for eight weeks. It was a huge blow financially,” she said.

Mrs Shaw is now trying to get a full refund from the clinic. ‘They said they would give me £1,000 back – I hadn’t lost any weight and could have died!’

According to the NHS, the surgery is generally a very safe procedure, however, as it is a relatively new operation, the long-term effects are still unknown.

A spokesperson for the balloon’s makers said the balloon’s “safety and effectiveness” are “well established” and said: “We aim to work with clinics to ensure any issues are thoroughly investigated and resolved, in line with our commitment to patient safety.”