The Allurion gastric balloon

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The Allurion balloon (formerly known as Elipse) is a newly approved gastric balloon in Canada, and it has some interesting differences compared to the older and more commonly known Orbera balloon.

For one, the Allurion balloon can be swallowed without the need for anesthesia. It also doesn’t need to be removed by a doctor, as it breaks down and is naturally passed out into the stools after a few months.

So how effective is this new balloon? And outside of all the shiny marketing, what can you actually expect from getting one?

I’m not in charge of inserting these balloons, but I do help to manage and support many of these patients who are on these balloons. Based on their experiences, I’m going to do my best to give you a realistic and honest review of the Allurion Gastric Balloon.

How it works

Like other gastric balloons, it’s a liquid filled balloon inside your stomach, which is supposed to help fill your stomach up and prevent you from eating too much.

It’s filled with 550 ml of liquid, which is about the size of grapefruit. You’ll often be told that it fills 60% of your stomach, and this is based on the average stomach volume being about 1 L.

However, taking up 60% of the volume of your stomach doesn’t mean it is going to reduce your food intake by 60%, and its true effectiveness really depends on a number of factors, which I’ll outline later in the article.

The Allurion ecosystem

One thing that differentiates this balloon from others in Canada at the moment, is that it comes with a whole ecosystem.

So there’s an app that’s connected to a smart scale and smart watch, both of which come with the balloon. The scale tracks your weight, and the watch tracks your steps, sleep, and heart rate.

They both send information automatically back to your support team so they can track your progress and help you better.

The app has a basic messaging system, but I think this is still in development, because at the moment there is no way for your team to get live updates or notifications. I actually have to go into the system every time I want to check a patient’s messages. It’s really inconvenient so I end up barely using the messaging system.

How it’s inserted

Another thing that differentiates this balloon is the ability for it to be swallowed, without the need to be sedated. The pill is attached to a thin tube, which is later connected to an IV bag.

You’ll be given some water to help swallow it and once the pill is in your stomach, they’ll take some x-ray images to ensure it’s inside, and then fill it up.

Unfortunately for some patients, this is easier said than done. The pill is not small. The size of the Allurion pill is 1.5 inches long by 0.5 inches thick. It’s comparable to swallowing a whole piece of Wether’s Original candy.

Now even if you gag, you won’t be puking up much since you’ll be told to not eat anything for the last 8 hours or have anything to drink for the last 2 hours before your procedure. So your stomach should be empty, but if you have a strong gag reflex, it’ll be a bit of a mission to swallow that thing.

Also, you’ll need to swallow it within a few minutes, since there is a thin dissolvable capsule layer around the pill meant to break down once in your stomach to release the balloon.

The capsule dissolves in 5 minutes, so if the pill sits in your mouth for too long, like if you were taking too long to swallow it, it’ll dissolve and the pill will need to be replaced, which I can tell you right now the clinic will not want to do.

So if you’re having problems swallowing it and taking too long, the doctor will use a long stylus that slides into the tube, to help gently push the pill down your throat as you swallow.

How it’s removed

Once your balloon is in place, it lasts in your stomach for around 16 weeks. After that, it breaks down and you pass it naturally in your stool. So you don’t need to schedule a time to go in and have it removed unlike the Orbera balloon.

The skin of the balloon doesn’t actually break down, it’s the mechanism inside that does. How it works is that once the balloon’s been filled, a small filament or thread within the balloon holds a small hole shut.

The thread is actually a slowly dissolving filament, and over time as it sits in the liquid within the balloon, it breaks down, until it becomes too weak, breaks apart, and the liquid from the balloon quickly leaks out.

You probably won’t notice it deflating in your stomach, although there are rare occurrences of a balloon deflating while a patient is eating, which may cause them to vomit out the balloon.

Nevertheless, once the balloon deflates, the balloon, which is now more like a bag, is essentially pooped out.

You may or may not notice it in your poop, but it’ll be like passing a small pill of saran wrap. So there isn’t too much to see.

There is a rare possibility the bag gets stuck in your intestines at which point you’ll need to get it removed surgically, but it’s pretty rare, something like less than 1% of insertions.

Side effects

There are some medical conditions for which the balloon is not safe, mostly related to GI issues that your doctor will screen you for to make sure it’s safe for you.

After insertion, your stomach will be trying to get used to the balloon, and it is this first week after the procedure that is usually most difficult for patients.

You’re going to need to go on an all-liquid diet for at least the first day or two. You’ll likely get some stomach pain, cramping, and vomiting, so you also need to be taking all the medication your doctor prescribes you to allow your stomach to get adjusted to it.

Some people’s stomachs are more sensitive than others, but following your doctor’s instructions properly will significantly help.

After that first week, most people feel much better and are able to go back to solid foods. Once your stomach gets used to it, most people either barely notice it, except for when they overeat and vomit, or experience some mild GI discomforts like heartburn.

Allurion vs Orbera balloon

When compared to the older Orbera balloon, the newer Allurion balloon doesn’t stay in for as long, and is smaller than the Orbera.

The main selling point of the Allurion is that it can be inserted without sedation, and is naturally passed rather than requiring sedation to remove as well.

It also has a softer wall than the Orbera balloon, meaning people will likely tolerate it better, but it may not be as effective at filling the stomach up as much.

The Allurion also comes with more supportive tools, such as the smart scale and watch, which can be handy, assuming patients are willing to use those tools.

Finally the cost is approximately the same for both, although some clinics may temporarily reduce the cost of the Allurion balloon as they introduce it into their clinics.

Which one is more effective? Well, it’s hard to say since there aren’t any good head-to-head comparisons, but based on my experiences, and the size and construction of the balloon, Orbera will likely be more effective, at least while it’s still in the stomach.

How effective is Allurion?

Once it’s installed, people typically lose weight quickly in the first few days, as they’re essentially restricted to an all-liquid diet.

However, once their stomach gets used to it, any weight loss after the first week really depends on the patient and their commitment to following the proper diet.

The study quotes up to 15% weight loss in 16 weeks. Unfortunately, this is for the ideal patient, and this is not because the patient relied only on the balloon.

You see, a gastric balloon will stop you from eating too much and too quickly at one time, by physically stopping food from being able to enter.

But that’s all, it’s a physical device that restricts some food intake. It won’t manage your hormones or psychology.

For example, the balloon may stop you from overeating, but you might still feel hungry if you don’t get enough protein.

Or the balloon might slow snacking down, but you’ll still want to stress eat if you don’t deal with your stress.

Obesity is a complex issue, and for some people, having a device in their stomach that makes them feel sick when they eat too much at one time may help their weight loss quite a bit. But not everyone is going to be like this.

Some patients find ways to circumvent this and end up slowing down their weight loss, for example by simply eating less at meals, but snacking more often. Or eating more soft foods that are higher in carbohydrate.

So the gastric balloon may help you change your eating patterns, but it’s not going to implement good eating habits for you.

Summary

I think it’s easy for patients to understand how a gastric balloon works, and it’s perhaps this fact that tends to lead some people to overestimate its effects.

Just because your stomach is being partially filled with a balloon, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to eat just as much as before if you’re not careful with your diet.

The way I look at gastric balloons is that it’s quite effective at stimulating one type of fullness, that is the fullness of the stomach.

But having a full stomach is only one trigger that helps people to know when to stop eating. For example, when your body senses you’re eating protein and fat, it stimulates another type of fullness, which is the release of certain hormones.

The gastric balloon isn’t going to stimulate this type of fullness at all. So implementing a higher protein diet is going to be something you need to do yourself.

Just understand that the gastric balloon has limitations, and you’ll still need to put in a good amount of effort to lose weight past the first week. But if you’re willing to put in the effort to work with those limitations, the gastric balloon can be an option for those dedicated to losing weight.

Learn more about

• Gastric balloon for weight loss
• The Allurion gastric balloon
• Other weight loss procedures

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