Discover the FDA-Approved Stomach Pump for Weight Loss

When you think of weight loss, what comes to mind?

Sweating buckets at the gym?

Following a diet plan that deprives you of your favorite foods?

If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, take a look a look below to learn about an FDA approve stomach pump that is designed for weight loss!

Lose Weight and not worry about what You Eat

The FDA-approved stomach pump device for weight loss is AspireAssist and it has been referred to as a “reverse feeding tube”. The device was developed by King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based company Aspire Bariatrics. The device is fundamentally an external pump that gets rid of part of the stomach's contents. The AspireAssist device can be a revolutionary change in the way people view weight loss. The device can help obese people lose averagely 12\\% of their body weight which is significantly higher than what most pills and diet routines can achieve.

The device is described as minimally-invasive and it contains a tube that extends from within the stomach to a terminal on the outside of the abdomen. Patients attach the pump to the external port to remove the stomach's contents before the body has a chance to absorb it.

Patients are gaining interest in the device as some plastic surgeries they had considered for weight loss, such as a tummy tuck or liposuction, are not actual weight loss procedures or solutions.

Public Perception of the FDA-Approved Weight Loss Device

The AspireAssist device isn't the coolest device around and some people might find the sight of the stomach's contents being emptied out really irritating and gross. Although there will be some who criticize the device, Dr. William Maisel, the deputy director for science and chief scientist at the FDA's center for devices and radiological health, has nothing but positive comments about the FDA-approved stomach pump device for weight loss. He said, "The AspireAssist approach helps provide effective control of calorie absorption, which is a key principle of weight management therapy. Patients need to be monitored by their health-care provider and should follow a lifestyle program to help them develop healthier eating habits and reduce their calorie intake".

The clinical trials of the FDA-approved stomach pump device for weight loss, both the AspireAssist group and the control group, had small improvements in obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

AspireAssist has unfortunately received some negative press and it is being called an “assisted bulimia” device by its critics. In 2013, a nutritionist called the FDA-approved stomach pump device for weight loss "an enabling device, not a helping device". This is regardless of the fact that the device was designed specifically to help obese people lose weight. It is for patients who have tried dieting and exercise but have continued to gain weight regardless of what changes they made in their lifestyle. In fact, the treatment is so successful that, on average, patients can lose more than 12\\% of their body weight.

Ideal Candidates for the FDA-Approved Weight Loss Device

Because this is considered a long-term treatment, patients that are moderately overweight are discouraged from using the device. Patients with eating disorders are also advised not to use this device. AspireAssist is intended to assist patients over the age of 22 with a body mass index of 35 to 55.

Clinical trials also showed that in the first 2 years, patients can lose an average of 100 pounds! As the patient loses more weight and shrinks their abdominal girth, getting help from healthcare specialists is required to ensure that loose skin doesn’t obstruct the port connecting to the external pump.

Aside from diet pills, there is no other known treatment available that can make you lose weight without heavy diet and exercise. The FDA-approved stomach pump device for weight loss doesn’t have serious side effects like pulmonary hypertension or fatal disorders like the valvular disease of the heart, elevated blood pressure and insomnia. The side effects include occasional indigestion, nausea, constipation and vomiting. This is a straight-forward treatment that simply limits the amount of food digested by your body through the removal of the stomach's contents.

Weight Loss is a Marathon and not a Sprint

There is no shortcut to weight loss and obese patients have to be ready to be disciplined and ready to work at achieving their goal regardless of the method chosen to deal with their weight. To get the best results from AspireAssist, a high level of discipline is required from the patient. While the FDA-approved stomach pump device for weight loss provides effective control of calorie absorption, patients have to be supervised carefully. Healthcare providers need to regularly monitor their patients and make sure they follow appropriate lifestyle programs to help them develop healthier eating habits and reduce their calorie intake. The device requires regular visits to the doctor to shorten the tube as the patient loses weight. To ensure patients regularly see a doctor, AspireAssist has a safety mechanism that automatically stops working after 115 cycles.

A Cure for Severe Obesity?

The need for this treatment seems to grow in the United States where obesity is becoming rampant. Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 38\\% of adults are obese in the United States. This makes devices such as AspireAssist an effective method to tackle obesity. Despite having minor side effects such as the ones discussed above, this device might be the silver bullet to curing severe obesity.