After years of junk food and trendy diets, 22-year-old Wilma Bergström decided to change her lifestyle and find a more long-term path to a healthy weight. Stomach surgery seemed too drastic. Instead, she opted for a new, non-surgical method that involves placing a water-filled balloon in the stomach without any invasive procedure. Today, more than a year after the treatment, she feels better than ever.
- I am more alert, have much more energy and have a completely different way of thinking about food," she says.
Tried all weight loss methods
Throughout her teenage years, Wilma struggled to lose her excess weight. She tried a variety of diets but nothing worked in the long run. Just over a year ago, she saw an advertisement for a new method of weight management and decided to find out more.
The method, which has taken the world by storm and helped thousands of people in over 50 countries, involves the patient swallowing a small capsule, slightly larger than a standard painkiller. The capsule, which once in the stomach fills up and becomes a water balloon, has proven to be very effective with few complications compared to surgical procedures.
Felt safe at Estetikcentrum
Wilma contacted Estetikcentrum in Malmö, one of the few clinics in the Nordic region offering the new treatment method. There she met both a specialist doctor and a dietician.
- It felt good and safe to do the treatment with them," she says.
A few weeks later she made an appointment for the insertion of the balloon, which is manufactured by the medical technology company Allurion. The placement takes 15-20 minutes as the patient swallows a capsule containing a folded balloon. Through a thin catheter, the balloon is filled with saline solution as it enters the stomach and the catheter is removed immediately after filling.
- I found it a little uncomfortable to feel a tube in my throat but once it was in place I felt nothing except a little nausea. The first two days I only drank water and then I started with broth and some soft food. After a week, I was eating regular food but much smaller portions," says Wilma.
No permanent intervention
The purpose of the balloon is to trick the body into eating less, as it takes up space in the stomach and triggers satiety signals more quickly.
Unlike other methods using balloons in the stomach, the Allurion balloon comes out after only four months. The balloon is designed to break on its own inside the stomach and come out naturally. Therefore, no intervention is needed for either insertion or removal.
The liquid seeps out and the casing itself comes out naturally. By then - after four months - the patient has accustomed his or her body to eating smaller portions and has been given a boost in their weight loss journey.
- "The point of the balloon is not to have a permanent intervention with the body, but to help the patient to satisfy their hunger in the first period, while encouraging them to change their dietary habits," says Ali Bagher, a senior physician who has treated over a hundred patients with the popular Allurion balloon.
Coaching and dietary advice as part of the program
As part of the treatment, Wilma was assigned a personal coach and her own dietician, whom she met regularly for six months.
- Since you eat smaller portions, it's especially important to keep track of nutritional content and make sure that what you eat contains enough protein and vitamins. This is something I had never thought about before," says Wilma.
Coaching is an important part of the program and helps patients learn to listen to their body and eat food that is both healthy and enjoyable. Suffering on a boring diet only leads to weight gain later on. That's why the program focuses on habits that last.
- This is something I will carry with me all my life. Now I haven't had to do a major operation and at the same time I have been given tools to get out of bad patterns. I feel great and have a completely different balance in my life!
Wilma, -40 kg
Impressive 40 kg weight loss
In the first six months, Wilma lost 32 kilograms. Today, she has lost another seven kilograms and continues to lose weight. She says that after the treatment, she has a completely different way of thinking about food.
Wilma has lost almost 40 kilograms without surgery, starvation or hard training, just by getting her body used to smaller portions and having a professional team helping her.
Read more about the Allurion balloon here.
- I used to rely on coffee to wake me up, but now I only drink one cup in the morning. I have much more energy to go out and do things, and I feel stronger and happier. It's been great to have someone to follow and encourage you along the way," she says.
In addition to dietary advice, Wilma was given tools for a long-term lifestyle change with a focus on daily exercise and good sleep. She sees the treatment as a relatively cheap investment in her health.
- This is something I will carry with me all my life. Now I haven't had to do a major operation and at the same time I have been given tools to get out of bad patterns. I feel great and have a completely different balance in my life!
Facts about the Allurion balloon
The Allurion balloon is a well-researched invention by researchers at Harvard University in the United States. There are already a large number of scientific studies on the Allurion balloon, and serious complications have proven to be extremely rare.
99.5% of patients have no serious complications, and 95% maintain their new weight at the check-up one year later, according to chief physician Ali Bagher.
- In addition, all patients receive their own smart watch and digital scale after balloon placement at no extra cost for the best planning and assistance," he says.
Want to know more about the Allurion program at Estetikcentrum? Contact us here or book a consultation to discuss your options. We are happy to answer your questions.
