Balloon is key to weighty problem
Medical device pops lid on hunger pangs
A World-first weight-loss device that requires no medical procedure and is simply swallowed has been released into the Australian market – promising the chance of a 15 per cent weight loss.
The Allurion Balloon, is a capsule that goes into the body without surgery, endoscopy or anaesthesia.
The gastric balloon has been used by 80,000 patients worldwide and almost one million kilograms reportedly have been lost across the globe.
The device is swallowed and placed during a 15-minute clinic visit and expands in the stomach to about the size of a grapefruit. After about 16 weeks, the balloon will pass naturally and patients can, on average, lose 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight.
To coincide with Allurion’s expansion into Australia, the company has unveiled a revolutionary new AI technology to predict if patients are likely to reach their weight-loss goals following their Allurion Program journey.
The success predictor is used to determine whether an Allurion Program patient is likely to achieve their weightloss goals – and by how much – using a leading-edge machinelearning algorithm that predicts outcomes as early as 20 days into the Allurion Program.
“No weight-loss program is a magic bullet; an effective program is based on good healthcare and good science,” Allurion co-founder and chief
executive Shantanu Gaur said.
“With this in mind, Allurion is a proven program that takes a holistic approach to losing weight. In addition to the revolutionary soft balloon, patients benefit from six months of dietary support from a nutritionist to ensure lasting lifestyle changes.”
One clinical study (509 patients) of Allurion patients demonstrated that 95 per cent of average weight loss could be sustained at the 12-month follow-up.
Australia-based bariatric surgeon George Balalis said the device was more than “just” a gastric balloon, it was a solution for patients wanting to improve their health and lifestyle.
“I see many patients who suffer from the feeling of constant hunger. The Allurion program offers change as it creates a feeling of fullness by taking up space in the stomach,” he said.
Available from selected clinics across the country, the program follows a strict eligibility process, including the requirement of a BMI between 27 and 40. The system is to be used in conjunction with a supervised nutrition program.