Yesterday the Food and Drug Administration approved a new obesity treatment device that drains a portion of stomach contents after every meal.
The AspireAssist System is produced by Aspire Bariatrics in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. The device is intended for patients 22 or older who are obese, have a body index of 35 to 55, and failed to lose weight through non-surgical weight loss methods.
To use the AspireAssist, surgeons insert a tube into the stomach via a small incision in the abdomen and place a valve on the outside of the body. About 30 minutes after a meal, patients attach the device's external connector and tubing to the port valve, allowing them to drain out the stomach's contents. The device takes about 10 minutes to work and removes approximately 30 percent of the calories consumed.
In a recent clinical trial, researchers compared 111 patients treated with both AspireAssist and appropriate lifestyle therapy to 60 control patients treated with just lifestyle therapy. After one year, patients using AspireAssist lost an average of 12.1 percent of their body weight compared to the control patients who lost 3.6 percent.
Both groups also showed small improvements in conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and quality of life, although these changes may be attributed to the lifestyle therapy, which includes nutrition and exercise counseling.
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