Obesity is a complex yet treatable medical condition that has become one of the most significant health concerns across the globe. Multiple factors like genetics, unhealthy eating habits, low physical activity levels, excessive stress, specific medical conditions, certain medications, significant emotional changes, etc., can influence your health behaviors and add pounds to your body weight. If you can’t win the challenge of keeping that excess weight off, you end up getting obese. Non-surgical treatment of obesity mainly focuses on lifestyle intervention, while intake of weight loss pills is another common approach to it. But these can hardly help you achieve long-term success. So, if you want an innovative and effective weight loss procedure, choose AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System. Here is everything you must know about it.
What Is AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy?
The ‘AspireAssist’ Aspiration Therapy is a durable and robust non-surgical weight management therapy introduced by a commercial-stage medical device company called Aspire Bariatrics, Inc. (1) It is an affordable yet highly effective alternative to invasive bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, gastric band, and gastric sleeve surgery) that treats obesity (both Class II and Class III) with minimal complications, better safety, and complete reversibility. The simple and fast procedure of Aspiration Therapy is performed on an outpatient basis, and you can start enjoying a normal, healthy lifestyle by recovering quickly.
The holistic approach of Aspiration Therapy allows patients to experience actual, long-term weight loss while developing healthier behaviors through the add-on lifestyle counseling program. Though no specific food restrictions exist, they must learn moderate eating and careful chewing for easier aspiration. Combined with solid commitment, these result in an enhanced quality of life and more significant weight loss satisfaction.
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About The AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System
The AspireAssist System is a new, minimally-invasive, endoscopic device, a breakthrough in obesity treatment. It got the premarket approval (PMA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2016. The endoluminal device has the following components (2):
1. A-Tube
This 26F silicone PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) tube has a gastric segment containing five aspiration holes. It is attached to the patient during the therapy so the stomach can enter through those holes.
2. Skin-Port
This is a low-profile plastic valve fixed to the A-Tube’s outer end. It establishes a connection to the detachable components to facilitate the aspiration process.
3. Detachable Components
These include the Companion and related accessories, including the Connector, which is locked onto the Skin-Port during the procedure. This opens the valve and pushes the stomach contents into the tubing set, draining directly into the toilet. This gravity-based technique can be performed a maximum of 115 times before replacing the device.
How Does It Work?
After a meal, food stays in the stomach until digestion begins. The innovative ‘dual mechanism’ of AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy aids weight loss through portion control and reduced calorie absorption. Using modified PEG technology, it removes up to 30% of calories by aspirating a portion of food from the stomach 20-30 minutes after each main meal. Mindful chewing and prolonged meal consumption contribute to weight loss and encourage healthy lifestyle changes.
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Who Are Good Candidates?
The following are the ideal candidates for AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy:
- An obese adult aged 22 years or older
- Having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 35.0-55.0 kg/m2
- Unable to lose or maintain weight with non-surgical solutions
- Declined invasive bariatric surgery
- Do not have difficulty in swallowing or digesting food
- No history of stomach ulcers, uncontrollable hypertension, blood clotting, pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, anemia, bulimia, binge eating, night eating syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, etc.
- No history of abdominal surgery, physical or mental disability, or psychological illness that can increase complications
- Not pregnant or breastfeeding
The AspireAssist Aspiration Procedure
- You are administered twilight anesthesia or conscious sedation or Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) before performing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
- The thin A-Tube is placed in your stomach and connected directly to a discreet button outside your abdomen using the standard ‘pull’ PEG technique.
- After a week, your stoma tract will be healed partially. Then, the Skin-Port is attached to the external end of the A-Tube while you remain seated.
- After one more week, as your stomach tract heals completely, the detachable components of the device are customized and set up as per the requirements. You are also provided with your operational training.
- You undergo your first aspiration on the same day, around 20-30 minutes after ingesting the training meal. It is performed in a private restroom, emptying the stomach directly into the toilet. To clear any occlusion, you can flush the tube by using water.
- Once the aspiration is done, the device is stored in a small handheld case.
Time Required
The A-Tube implantation is a quick 15-minute outpatient procedure, while the Aspiration process takes only 5-10 minutes.
Post-Procedural Care
- Take pain medications as prescribed by your doctor for tube site pain management. It usually goes away in 2-3 days.
- Commit to aspirating after each principal meal. It should be done at least three times daily at the initial stage. Reduce the frequency as you approach your weight loss goal.
- Follow the dietary recommendations made by your doctor religiously. For the first week, consume only pureed or mashed food. Soft and ground food, which needs minimal chewing, can be eaten during the second week. Gradually introduce more challenging items in your diet. Also, drink lots of fluids throughout the day.
- Attend monthly lifestyle counseling sessions (one-on-one) to develop healthy habits and encourage sustainable weight loss.
- Keep visiting your doctor every month to monitor your weight loss progress. This also includes checking the levels of fluids and electrolytes, a deficit of nutrients in the body, the health of the button site, etc.
Recovery And Downtime
After the therapy, you can return home just within a couple of hours. The recovery is also pretty quick. You can resume all your normal activities and indulge in exercise, swimming, etc., once your body gets healed around the tube site.
Risks And Complications
Potential risks and complications associated with the AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System are anesthetic nausea or vomiting, abdominal discomfort or pain, infection, non-bleeding pre-pyloric ulceration, peritonitis, peristomal leakage, peristomal skin irritation, peristomal granulation tissue, erythema, buried bumper syndrome, aspiration pneumonia, hypoventilation, electrolyte abnormalities, abdominal bloating, occasional indigestion, sore throat, constipation, and diarrhea.
Lasting Time
You may end up regaining weight once the therapy is stopped. However, as it includes lifestyle counseling, patients can achieve weight loss goals and maintain standard body weights through gradual, healthy changes. Thus, the procedure offers long-term benefits only.
Removal Of AspireAssist
You can remove the device whenever you want through a similar 10-minute outpatient procedure, and the tube site closes naturally over time. It does not cause any permanent change to the gastrointestinal anatomy.
Costs Involved
The average total cost of the AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy ranges from $7,000 to $13,000 for an entire year.
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Summary
AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy offers a non-surgical solution for obesity, combining a durable device with lifestyle counseling. This FDA-approved system involves a post-meal aspiration to reduce calorie absorption. Ideal for candidates with a BMI of 35.0-55.0 kg/m2, aged 22 or older, the outpatient procedure has a quick recovery. Risks exist, but the therapy provides lasting benefits. Device removal is a simple outpatient procedure, and costs range from $7,000 to $13,000 annually.
References:
- “AspireAssist® Demonstrates Significant Weight Loss through Four Years with Strong Safety Profile,” GlobeNewswire
- “AspireAssist: Clinician Guide,” AccessData.FDA.Gov
