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Is the AspireAssist Weight Loss Device Right For You?

AspireAssist has been called a weight loss stomach pump and likened to assisted bulimia; but the results speak for themselves.

Watch the following video for a brief introduction to AspireAssist, or continue reading below to learn more about the weight loss benefits seen with this somewhat controversial new procedure.

AspireAssist Not for the Faint of Heart; or is it?

The AspireAssist is a minimally invasive (and reversible) FDA-approved weight loss procedure that experts tell us works well… really well.

An external pump that runs from inside your stomach to a valve on the outside of your abdomen allows you to empty (aspirate) up to 30 percent of your stomach’s contents into the toilet after a meal. (This is why critics have called it “assisted bulimia.”) It is also referred to as the weight loss stomach pump and the abdominal vomiting weight loss device.

The concept might leave you feeling a little squeamish. Still it’s hard to argue with the results. People who received the device lost three times more weight than those who were simply given diet and exercise advice, and the most successful individuals lost more than 100 pounds in the first year of using the AspireAssist.

The company states that most people will lose one-to-two pounds per week, but weight loss is likely to be even more rapid during the first few weeks. By the end of six months, the average AspireAssist patient lose about 40 percent of their excess weight.

It is a reversible procedure, but can also be used safely over the long-term. In fact, the most recent AspireAssist study looked at long-term safety and efficacy in 201 participants from five European clinics. It showed a weight loss at one, two, three and four years of 18.2 percent, 19.8 percent, 21.3 percent and 19.2 percent respectively. What’s more, participants saw reductions in markers of diabetes risk, dangerous blood fats called triglycerides, and blood pressure. All of these factors are known to increase the risk for heart disease. These findings were published in Obesity Surgery.

Are you a Candidate for AspireAssist?

The AspireAssist device might be right for you if your Body Mass Index (BMI) is between 35 and 55. (Use our calculator to find out.)

Generally speaking, a BMI of 30+ is considered obese. Appropriate candidates must be at least 22-years old and unable to lose weight and keep it off through diet and exercise alone. It may also be an option for people who don’t want to undergo some of the more invasive weight loss surgeries.

Always discuss the individual risks and benefits of the procedure with your doctor.

What to Expect?

AspireAssist is an outpatient procedure that takes just 15 minutes and involves twilight anesthesia (you are awake, but not aware). AspireAssist is recommended in conjunction with a healthy diet, but there are not any foods (or quantities of foods) that are considered off-limits as there are with other bariatric surgeries such as gastric bypass. The tube can be removed at any point through a 10-minute outpatient procedure.

The aspiration should occur about 20-to-30 minutes after finishing a meal about three times per day (initially), and usually takes 5-to-10 minutes to complete. With time, fewer aspirations may be needed.

No nutritional shortfalls are expected with this procedure because it is akin to eating a lower calorie diet. Every nutrient is absorbed, but overall caloric intake is reduced due to aspiration. Counseling and group support are part of the package, along with monitoring from your doctor.

The AspireAssist procedure costs around $12,000. Insurance may cover some of the costs.

Start your search for a bariatric surgeon near you today.