Unfortunately, that was not the case. However, the nausea and vomiting after the surgery (plus the bed rest) did make my weight go down by maybe 1kg? Either way, I feel a lot better since the surgery.

No, because the weight loss caused the gallstones, not the balloon itself. Once you have gallstones that become problematic (ie. become impacted in the bile ducts like mine were), most of the time the Dr will recommend having the gallbladder removed anyway, as you are almost 100% guaranteed to develop more within 5 years. Surprisingly, the surgery happened on the day I had the appointment with the Dr, as he was operating that afternoon anyway, and had a free spot. I'm now 2.5 weeks post op, and am feeling much better. Btw this FML was submitted about 4 weeks ago lol

The only reason I wanted the balloon was because it isn't permanent, and this new one (the Allurion) has only been approved in Australia for about a year, and it's one that requires no surgery. The weight loss is nice, but I feel like I was dealt a bad hand when it comes to the side effects. Most people's side effects go away within a few days, however I was one of the unlucky ones whose side effects have only really gotten worse, and I ended up having to get surgery anyway, which defeated the entire purpose of me going with the balloon instead of the bypass. The thought of surgery terrified me. But hey, a 15kg weight loss over 3 months almost makes it all worth it.