R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, SEP 10
Allurion, a US-based company has launched a unique procedureless gastric balloon weight loss programme for treating obesity in Chennai on Saturday.
The Allurion Swallowable Capsule in India – the only medical weight-loss device has been approved by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), the national regulatory authority of India governed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s Directorate General of Health Services.
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TN, Kerala in South India have highest obesity population; Chennai has 22%, higher than the national average of 21% to 24%: National Family Health Survey
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The Allurion Swallowable Capsule – the world’s first and only procedureless gastric balloon for weight loss
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The Allurion Virtual Care Suite (VCS), powered by the Allurion IRIS AI platform and featuring the Allurion Mobile App, Connected Scale and Health Tracker to provide real-time insights to both patients and healthcare practitioners
Launching the Allurion way of procedure to treat obesity patients, Dr Shantanu Gaur, founder of Allurion said, “TN, Kerala in South India has highest obesity population. Of this Chennai has 22%, higher than the national average of 21% to 24%, quoting the National Family Health Survey (2019-2021).”
He also said, according to survey, the obesity population in India has increased from 21% to 24% among women and 19% to 23% among men between 2016 and 2021.
Unhealthy food habits, increasingly sedentary lifestyles and a lack of safe and effective treatments all have contributed to an increase in obesity, which can lead to serious consequences such as diabetes and heart disease.
“The Allurion Program is suited for people who are unable to achieve their weight-loss goals by dieting alone or for those who do not want to, or cannot, undergo invasive surgery or endoscopy. It may also be suitable as a treatment for weight-related co-morbidities including diabetes, infertility, or cardiovascular disease,” he added.
How Allurion procedure works
Dr Gaur said that in just a 15-minute clinic visit, the patient swallows the Allurion Swallowable Capsule – a safe and temporary vegan capsule that contains a deflated gastric balloon. Once in the stomach, a healthcare professional uses a catheter to inflate the balloon with 550ml of liquid – no surgery, endoscopy or anaesthesia is required. A simple X-ray is used to ensure the balloon is in the right position. After placement, the balloon – roughly the size of a grapefruit – takes up space in the patient’s stomach, creating a feeling of fullness and reducing food intake. The balloon reduces feelings of hunger, and in approximately 16 weeks, it automatically deflates and passes out of the body naturally.
“As someone of Indian origin, India is a special market for Allurion. It is part of my personal mission to bring our revolutionary technology to India to help end obesityand diabetes,” says Dr Shantanu Gaur, Founder and CEO of Allurion.
“Whether it is because they have a wedding coming up, have steadily put on weight due to a busy or stressful lifestyle, recently had a health scare, need to improve their fertility, or need to lose weight before an operation, the Allurion Program can be the answer for millions of patients throughout India,” he adds.
Dr Mohit Bhandari of Mohak Bariatrics is a bariatric and endoscopic weight-loss surgeon, and a pioneer in offering the Allurion Program in India. “Obesity is on the rise in India with three out of every four urban Indians overweight. As one of the most experienced bariatric surgeons in the Asia Pacific region with 17,000 bariatric surgeries performed to date, I think that weight management needs to be normalized rather than stigmatized, and the Allurion Program is a positive step in that direction,” he says.
Dr Ram Chuttani, Chief Medical Officer and Founding Partner of Allurion, adds: “Allurion is committed to provide patients a best-in-class experience, and their safety is our top priority. Studies have confirmed the proven efficacy and safety4 of the Allurion Program, helping patients lose an average 10-15% of their body weight in approximately 16 weeks’.
Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, Bariatric Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai said that the Allurion procedure will be adopted at the Appollo Hospitals first in South India.
