Rapid uptake of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide has coincided with a measurable slowdown in bariatric surgeries in several markets. Gastric bands and balloons are used in a segment of bariatric procedures and were worth an estimated $49.1 million globally in 2025. Amid a surge in GLP-1 products, the global gastric bands and balloons market is forecast to decline to $34.2 million in 2035 at a negative compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.54%, according to GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.
In the US, a peer-reviewed analysis on an estimated 17 million privately insured patients led by Thomas Tsai, an assistant professor at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, found that GLP-1 prescriptions for obesity more than doubled from 2022 to 2023, increasing by 105.6%, while the rate of metabolic bariatric surgery fell about 8.7% over the same period. Data presented at the 2026 meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) confirmed that US surgical volumes dropped in 2024 and 2025 after seven years of growth.
Aidan Robertson, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “While gastric bands and balloons appear to be declining as a result of a booming alternative treatment method, namely GLP-1 products, researchers have indicated that this may be concentrated among the most severe patients, who would benefit most from surgery but instead choose to skip it, even though it is the more effective option. Other patients may be using the products as a bridge to future surgery, while 90-95% of severe obesity remains untreated.”
Boston Scientific holds more than half the share in the gastric bands and balloons market, while competitors such as Biorad Medisys and Allurion Technologies account for much smaller portions.
Robertson adds: “The continued decline in the market is expected to result in lower surgical volumes and, in turn, lower sales, which may cause smaller competitors to struggle to maintain their positions in the market due to declining revenue.”
Drugs will not eliminate the need for bariatric surgery, but they are reshaping demand and acting as a substitute for some patients, as a complement or bridge for others, and leaving the highest-severity, treatment-resistant patients as the core surgical population. As a significant number of patients may stop GLP-1 therapy within one year and weight tends to return after treatment discontinuation, a portion of the current drug-first patients is expected to return to surgical pathways over time. As such, the current decline may partly reverse or plateau rather than continue in a linear fashion.
Robertson continues: “There is still significant promise for the market in the long term regardless of the declining procedures over the last few years. Obesity is a global pandemic with an estimated 2.1 billion people affected worldwide, according to CDC. While GLP-1 can be beneficial for some patients, they cannot wholly replace bariatric procedures It is more likely that these treatments will cause a reshuffling of the obesity market, with some scenarios involving both methods being used cooperatively.”
