"Anew gastric balloon that can be swallowed like a pill and then filledwhile in the stomach helped patients lose more than  percent oftheir excess weight over four months according to new researchpresented here at ObesityWeek  the largest international eventfocused on the basic science clinical application and prevention andtreatment of obesity. The weeklong conference is hosted by the  AmericanSociety for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery ASMBS and The ObesitySociety TOS. AllurionTechnologies the manufacturer of the device called Elipse whichis not yet commercially available is studyingwhat it says is the first procedureless gastric balloon inpatients with a body mass index BMI of  or more. Thetreatment involves patients swallowing a capsule that quicklydissolves in the stomach to reveal a deflated gastric balloon inside.With a thin catheter attached to the device but long enough toremain outside the patients mouth a physician fills the balloonwith fluid  mL to about the size of a grapefruit. The catheteris then removed while the balloon remains in the stomach for fourmonths. At that point a valve designed to open on its own allowsthe balloon to empty and be excreted naturally from the bodyeliminating the need for endoscopy or another procedure.  Likeother gastric balloons the mechanism of action of Elipse is likelymultifactorial and includes increased satiety from the reduction ofavailable space in the stomach delayed gastric emptying and changesin hormones that control hunger and appetite saidRam Chuttani MD study coauthor and director of Endoscopy andchief Interventional Gastroenterology at Beth Israel DeaconessMedical Center in Boston. Our findings demonstrate that Elipseprovides individuals and their caregivers with a safe effective andnoninvasive weight loss intervention that does not require surgeryendoscopy or anesthesia. Researcherspresented interim results for the first  patients of a multicenterstudy that showed individuals lost an average of  pounds after fourmonths or  percent of their excess weight. Patients also sawimprovements in triglycerides and hemoglobin Ac HgbAc levelsrisk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Similar to othergastric balloons the most common adverse events reported were nauseaand vomiting. NinhT. Nguyen MD immediate pastpresident of the ASMBS and vicechair UC Irvine Department ofSurgery and chief of gastrointestinal surgery who was not involvedin the study said the device is not a permanent solution to weightloss but has the potential to help those individuals who areoverweight or have obesity and are not candidates for bariatricsurgery. Newtreatment options are being studied and approved for the treatment ofobesity which is good news for our patients and the healthcareprofessionals involved in their treatment said Dr. Nguyen whowas not involved in the study. For many struggling with theirweight procedureless gastric balloon devices may serve as atreatment option that bridges the gap between weightloss drugs andsurgery. TheU.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA this year alone approved theOrberaIntragastric Balloon from Apollo Endosurgery and theReShapeIntegrated Dual Balloon System from ReShape Medical. Bothdevices are indicated for adults with BMIs between  and  whocould not lose weight through diet and exercise alone.The FDA also approved threeweightloss drugs since .  Inaddition to Dr. Chuttani study authors of the abstract entitledThe First Procedureless Gastric Balloon A Prospective StudyEvaluating Safety Weight Loss Metabolic Parameters and Quality ofLife include Evzen Machytka MD PhDMartina Bojkova MD TomasKupka MD and Marek Buzga MSc PhD from the University of OstravaIoannis Raftopoulos MD Andreas Giannakou MD and Kandiliotis IoannisMD from the Iatriko Medical Center and Kathy Stecco MD Samuel LevyMD and Shantanu Gaur MD from Allurion Technologies.  AboutObesity and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accordingto the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention CDC more than million adults were obese in .https ASMBS estimates about  million people have severe or morbidobesity. Individuals with a BMI greater than  have a  to percent increased risk of premature death compared to healthy weightindividuals as well as an increased risk of developing more than obesityrelated diseases and conditions including type  diabetesheart disease and cancer.ii https https Metabolicbariatricsurgery has been shown to be the most effective and long lastingtreatment for morbid obesity and many related conditions and resultsin significant weight loss. The Agency for Healthcare Research andQuality AHRQ reported significant improvements in the safety ofmetabolicbariatric surgery due in large part to improvedlaparoscopic techniques.iv https risk of death is about . percenthttps the overall likelihood of major complications is about percent.vi https Aboutthe ASMBS TheASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in thenation. It is a nonprofit organization that works to advance the artand science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educatingmedical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery asan option for the treatment of morbid obesity as well as theassociated risks and benefits. It encourages its members toinvestigate and discover new advances in obesity while maintaining asteady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improvedoutcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information visit http   Dr.Chuttani holds an equity position in Allurion Technologies THEFIRST PROCEDURELESS GASTRIC BALLOON A PROSPECTIVE STUDY EVALUATINGSAFETY WEIGHT LOSS METABOLIC PARAMETERS AND QUALITY OF LIFE Evzen Machytka MD PhD  RamChuttani MD Martina Bojkova MD Tomas Kupka MD Marek Buzga MScPhD Kathy Stecco MD  SamuelLevy MD Shantanu Gaur MD Presented November"