Background

The Allurion (formerly Elipse) intragastric balloon (IGB) is a newly developed non-invasive treatment for overweight and obesity that does not require endoscopy. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Allurion IGB and its impact on weight loss.

Methods

We included 267 patients who underwent Allurion Balloon insertion between March 2021 and May 2022. Measurements of weight, body mass index (BMI), muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat percentage were collected at baseline and monthly for the next 4 months. Incidence of nausea and vomiting was assessed 24 hours after balloon insertion and data on complications at any time of the treatment was collected.

Results

The mean age of patients was 40 and 67.3% were females. 1.1% of patients were unable to swallow the device and 42.5% required stylet assistance. According to the Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching 8.5%, 40.4%, 31.4%, 15.4%, and 4.3% had none, mild, moderate, great, and severe symptoms. 19.6% of patients required intravenous fluids, 1.1% underwent endoscopic removal due to intolerance, 1 patient had pancreatitis, and 1 patient had spontaneous hyperinflation. Overall (4 months after placement), patients had a body weight loss (BWL) of 9 Kg and %BWL of 10.3%. The overall %BMI loss, muscle mass, body fat percentage, and visceral fat percentage were 10.5%, 5.5%, 11.5%, and 11.3%.

Conclusions

The Allurion intragastric balloon is an effective and safe treatment for obesity with more than 98% of tolerability and 10.2% total weight loss.