A new solution for weight-loss is in development for people who are obese and think that bariatric surgery is too risky.
The Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network is having doctors from hospitals across the U.S. test a pill that inflates a balloon in the stomach once swallowed, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Dr. George Eid, surgeon and director of AHN's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, said the balloon, created by California-based company Obalon Therapeutics, is designed to make the patient feel fuller faster so that they eat less.
"This is really a way to help people who are on their way to becoming obese but maybe aren't there yet," Eid explained. "If we halt weight gain early enough in the process, they may never have to get there."
Patients will swallow the pill when it's not inflated, and the attached tube hooks up to an air canister to pump up the balloon, CBS Pittsburgh reported. Doctors will use an X-ray to make sure the balloon is in the right place.
The process involves swallowing three balloons- one every few weeks- and keeping them there for six months before deflating and removing them with a tube through the mouth.
The patient will then stick with his/her diet, exercise counseling and weight-loss medication for the next six months, Post-Gazette reported.
Eid said 18 patients were enrolled in the clinical study as of Tuesday. Half of the participants will receive the actual balloon, and the other half will get a sugar pill. In order to participate, patients must be between 22 and 64 years of age, have a body mass index of 30 to 40 and not have had any previous surgeries. They must also come in for follow up appointments every three weeks for a full calendar year.
"This is all aimed at addressing unmet needs in a population that still needs help," Eid said. "I'm sure people get flak for doing this, but if it means we can eliminate diabetes through this kind of weight loss intervention instead of giving medication, isn't that OK? Nobody chooses to be obese. Sometimes obesity chooses them, and if we can help transform their lives."
Risks include the esophagus getting injured and the balloons deflating on their own and blocking the intestines, but the chance of patients encountering either of these problems is rare.
The balloon is approved for use in Europe, where it has helped people lose about 10 to 15 percent of their body weight, CBS reported. However, it has yet to be tested in the U.S., which is needed for the device to obtain FDA approval.
The AHN doctors expect to receive the results of the tests in early 2016.
