AspireAssist Stomach Pump Review

FDA Approves Weight Loss Stomach Pump Treatment AspireAssist:

Obesity is an epidemic across America. Today, the FDA approved a stomach pump treatment called AspireAssist in an effort to combat that epidemic.

AspireAssist is a radical weight loss treatment program that promises to offer proven results through a non-surgical procedure. With AspireAssist, food is literally vacuumed out of your stomach before it’s digested. You get to eat the foods you love without actually having your body absorb those foods.

Some have called it “assisted bulimia”. Others have called it “quirky”. But the FDA has officially approved the device for use across America. We’re taking a closer look at AspireAssist today.

What is AspireAssist?

AspireAssist is a surgically-placed tube that drains a portion of your stomach contents after every meal. The device is designed for use among obese patients aged 22 and older with a body mass index of 35 to 55 who have failed to lose weight through other therapies.

Basically, doctors stick a tube into your stomach during a surgical procedure. Then, after every meal, you open a valve on that tube to allow your stomach contents to pour into the toilet, then you flush.

How Does AspireAssist Work?

If you’re eating, then you may want to put your food down before you read this next part.

To install AspireAssist, surgeons cut a small incision in the abdomen and insert a tube through that incision into the stomach with an endoscope. The incision is closed, leaving a disk-shaped port valve in place outside the body, lying flush against the skin of the abdomen. That valve is connected to the tube and remains in place.

Approximately 20 to 30 minutes after consuming a meal, patients attach AspireAssist’s external connector and tubing to the port valve, stand over a toilet or garbage can, and open the valve to drain the contents of their stomach.

The valve needs to be open for 5 to 10 minutes to drain food through the tube into the toilet.

Using the device regularly, patients in one clinical trial were able to lose 12.1% of their total body weight over the course of a year.

Patients using the device need to be frequently monitored by a health care provider, who will shorten the tube as the patient loses weight and abdominal girth. If the tube isn’t shortened, then it begins to stick out from the abdomen.

There’s also a safety measure on the device that prevents excess drainage. The tube will automatically stop draining after 115 cycles, or approximately 5 to 6 weeks of therapy. After 115 cycles, patients must return for a medical visit to get a replacement part. This safety feature ensures customers are using the device safely during therapy.

Why Did the FDA Approve AspireAssist?

The FDA’s job is to approve or deny drugs and treatments based on scientific evidence presented to them. They approved AspireAssist after they received results from a clinical trial of 111 patients who underwent AspireAssist treatment.

Those 111 patients received the AspireAssist device as well as “appropriate lifestyle therapy”, according to an FDA release. They were compared against a group of 60 control patients who only received the lifestyle therapy.

After one year, patients using AspireAssist lost an average of 12.1% of their total body weight compared to 3.6% for control patients.

The clinical trial results, according to the FDA, “also suggested that both patient groups had small improvements in conditions often associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension and quality of life.” However, researchers attributed these changes to the lifestyle therapy, which consisted of nutrition and exercise counseling.

Side Effects of AspireAssist

In the clinical trial listed above, researchers reported side effects like occasional indigestion, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.

The insertion process – which requires endoscopic surgery – is also associated with some risks and side effects, including sore throat, pain, abdominal bloating, indigestion, bleeding, infection, nausea, vomiting, abdominal inflammation, stomach sores, pneumonia, sedation-related breathing problems, unintended puncture of the stomach or intestinal wall, and death.

Who Should Use AspireAssist?

AspireAssist is designed for obese individuals with a BMI between 35 and 55 who have tried conventional weight loss methods and failed.

In their announcement on the approval of AspireAssist, the FDA also specifically claimed that the device is designed for those with “certain conditions, including uncontrolled hypertension, diagnosed bulimia, diagnosed binge eating disorder, night eating syndrome, certain types of previous abdominal surgery, pregnancy or lactation, inflammatory bowel disease or stomach ulcers.”

The device is not recommended for certain patients believed to be at a higher risk of developing complications. Those patients include anyone with a history of cardiovascular disease or pulmonary disease, coagulation disorders, chronic abdominal pain, or those at a high risk of medical complications from an endoscopic procedure.

Who Makes AspireAssist?

AspireAssist is made by an American company named Aspire Bariatrics. They’re based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania at the following address:

3200 Horizon Drive, Suite 100
King of Prussia, PA 19406

You can call them at (610) 590-1577 or email them at [email protected].

What to Expect from AspireAssist

After the installation procedure, you should be able to return home that same day. The recovery time is faster than most invasive bariatric procedures. However, some patients will experience “significant pain” for the first 2 to 3 days, according to the official Aspire Bariatrics website. Doctors may prescribe medications to help manage this pain.

After the device is installed, you’ll need to carefully chew your food with every meal. Large pieces of food will become stuck in the tube if you don’t chew thoroughly. Of course, chewing food more thoroughly comes with another benefit: it makes you a more mindful eater and encourages you to eat less.

After each meal, you’ll need to “aspirate”. Aspire Bariatrics claims it will take 5 to 10 minutes to aspirate a meal, although it may take longer in the beginning as you’re still getting used to the procedure. Aspire encourages you to make sure you can fit regular aspiration after each meal into your schedule:

“Consider your schedule at work, at home, on weekends, and with your family or friends. Although missing an aspiration occasionally is OK, the most successful patients aspirate three times per day, almost every day.”

You’ll want to wait 20 to 30 minutes after your meal to begin the aspiration process.

How to Get Started with AspireAssist

AspireAssist is available at a growing number of doctors across America and around the world. In the United States, AspireAssist is designed for people who have a BMI between 35 and 55 and are at least 22 years of age. You can request a consultation in the United States using this form at the official Aspire Bariatrics page [AspireBariatrics.com/get-started/]

AspireAssist is also available in many other countries around the world, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Israel, Kuwait, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK, Qatar, Netherlands, and Turkey. To request a consultation in any of these countries, use the form found on their website.