The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has approved a new obesity treatment that helps people lose weight by literally pumping excess food out of the stomach. This unusual AspireAssist device helps obese people shed on average more than 12 percent of their body weight, which is more than the capacity of pills and traditional diets.
The AspireAssist device is a minimally invasive process that requires a thin tube to be inserted into the stomach, Fox News reported (via The Associated Press). That tube is connected to a port outside the abdomen. Thirty minutes after eating, users will connect that outside port to an external device, which then pumps some of the recently eaten food into the toilet.
The device, which was made by Aspire Bariatrics in King Prussia, Pennsylvania, caters to obese people aged 22 and above and with a body mass index of 35 to 55, according to NBC News. The device is also for patients who are unable to attain successful weight loss through non-surgical weight-loss therapy.
AspireAssist Device A Viable Option For Obese People
Dr. Shelby Sullivan from Washington University in St. Louis shut down claims that the AspireAssist device is a form of medical bulimia or assisted bulimia. Sullivan said the device is "a good option for the extremely obese" because it helps the patients eat less than their usual food consumption, NBC News added.
Obesity ups the risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, stroke and some types of cancer, the U.S. National Library of Medicine wrote. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 38 percent of adults and 17 percent of teenagers in the U.S. are obese.
Regular Monitoring Required
FDA's Dr. William Maisel said the AspireAssist device helps obese people control their calorie intake, which is the most important factor in losing weight. People who are using the device should be monitored regularly by their healthcare provider to shorten the tube and the outside port's abdominal width as they begin to lose weight. Doctors should also frequently advise patients on lifestyle therapies.
The AspireAssist device, which is currently in the European market, doesn't have a fixed price yet. A surgeon will implant the device via a short endoscopic procedure, and that process' cost may differ by center or hospital. Some of the device's side effects are diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, nausea and vomiting.
A report from Healthline said that treating obesity could be kick-started by a prescription weight loss drug. These medications, however, should be combined with a healthy well-portioned diet and regular exercise to maintain good physical shape.
