•The procedure requires no surgery, no endoscopy, and no anaesthesia.
•The balloon reduces food intake by taking up space in the stomach.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
Kenyans can now lose weight faster and easier by swallowing a balloon pill.
The gastric balloon, labelled the Allurion Balloon, is made of a soft biodegradable material packaged into a swallowable capsule and connected to a thin tube.
Dr Pranav Pancholi, a cosmetic dermatologist and CEO of Avane Cosmetic Clinics that is pioneering the pill, said its introduction is a gamechanger in the cosmetic industry.
"The procedure requires no surgery, no endoscopy, and no anaesthesia. It is simple and painless," he said.
So far, eight people in Kenya have swallowed the weight loss pill in the last six months. It costs Sh450,000.
The package includes the cost for the skin tightening procedure, if necessary, a smartwatch, digital scale, nutritional and psychological counselling for six months.
"A smartwatch and the weighing scale enables me to monitor your parameters on my computer in real-time," he explained.
On paper, losing weight appears simple because it is about burning more calories than you eat each day. But in practice, it is anything but easy for most people struggling to lose excess weight that could be dangerous to their health.
How it works
The Allurion balloon reduces food intake by taking up space in the stomach. The balloon works by inducing early satiety (the feeling of fullness) by delaying gastric emptying and reducing stomach capacity.
"For medical and other personal reasons, some people cannot undergo cosmetic surgery, and clients need a recovery period which is not needed with Allurion balloon," said Dr Pancholi.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
He explained that after the pill has been swallowed, they use an x-ray to confirm that it is in the correct place.
"The balloon is then inflated with about half a litre of water. We then take another x-ray to make sure the balloon is fully inflated and resting in the correct position in the stomach," he said.
He said the procedure takes 20 minutes then a doctor will monitor the patient for one hour before allowing them to return home.
“The balloon stays in place for approximately four months. In that period, the patient has regular check-ups at our clinic for us to monitor their progress," he said.
"The balloon is made up of biodegradable material that deflates automatically after the duration and is then passed naturally into the toilet," he added.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI
Nairobi-based Avane Cosmetic Clinic is the first institution to start administering the pill in the country.
The doctor said out of the over 50,000 people who have swallowed the pill since it was introduced in 2015, most lose 10 to 15 per cent of their total body weight through the Allurion Balloon Programme in just 16 weeks.
"Up to 95 per cent of your weight loss can be sustained 12 months after the balloon has passed with the patient taking control over the way they eat," he said.
Avane administered the first Allurion balloon to a patient on October 1, 2021. Since then, the clinic has placed the balloon in seven more patients with great success.
“The placement process is done under physician supervision. The doctor is always there to ensure painless and successful installation of the balloon,” Dr Pancholi said.
Image: WILFRED NYANGARESI.
The doctor, however, said people who have had previous gastric surgeries are not allowed to take the pill.
"If one wishes to lose more weight, we recommend that you wait at least three months before taking the pill again," he said.
The side effects of the pill include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, which may persist for around three days but could last up to 10 days.
According to experts, dieting can make you feel hungry, but Allurion gives you control because patients feel less hungry, feel fuller more quickly after eating, and help avoid the hunger attacks typically experienced when dieting.