New balloon capsule can help shed kilos

Patients swallow a capsule the size of a large vitamin pill which contains a deflated balloon that sits on top of the stomach. Photo / Thinkstock

A new weight-loss balloon that can be swallowed in a pill has been launched in Britain.

Unlike other gastric balloon treatments, Obalon does not require invasive surgery.

Instead, in a 10-minute procedure, patients swallow a capsule the size of a large vitamin pill which contains a deflated balloon.

The capsule is attached to a micro-catheter and, once the capsule arrives in the stomach, the balloon is inflated to the size of an apple. The capsule dissolves and the catheter is removed via the mouth.

The balloon sits on top of the stomach, giving patients the sensation of fullness with the hope they then eat less and lose weight.

Patients receive a second balloon 30 days after the first procedure, with the option of a third balloon after about 60 days, based on their weight loss and feelings of fullness.

At the end of the treatment plan, which can take months, the balloons are deflated and removed during an outpatient endoscopy.

This is where a thin, long, flexible tube is inserted into the throat without the need for general anaesthetic.

Obalon costs from about NZ$6000 for a two-balloon treatment.

The treatment is more short-term than other gastric procedures and is recommended for people whose body mass index is 27 or over.

Clinical trials in the UK and in the US have shown that patients can lose an average of 7.7kg in 12 weeks.

Clinical trial results showed about seven per cent of patients had some side-effects including vomiting, cramps and reflux, which generally subsided in a day or so.

- PAA