Aspiration therapy
Aspiration therapy is a bariatric approach to siphon ingested food from the stomach via an implanted tube and port to the outside of the body to be discarded.[1] The device for this approach was developed by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis to treat obesity and has been named AspireAssist.[1] The device has also been termed a reverse feeding tube.[2] It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 14, 2016.[3]
AspireAssist is made by Aspire Bariatrics. It is inserted in an outpatient setting using an endoscope during an about 15 minutes procedure.[4] People with the device can discharge yet undigested food via the port into the toilet, typically 20 to 30 minutes after a meal. Critics have called the approach “assisted bulimia”.[2] In an initial study 18 people those with the device lost more weight than controls.[5] The therapy is supported by a lifestyle counseling program, and requires regular medical supervision.
Candidates for the device cannot have an eating disorder, should be 22 years old or more, and should have a body mass index of 35 to 55. Short-term use is not encouraged.[3] Contraindications for the device are certain eating disorders (i.e. bulimia), certain types of previous abdominal surgery, pregnancy, stomach ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease.[3] Side effects reported are local skin irritation at the port site and abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea.[3] Local infection may require removal of the tube.[4]
The device is removable.[4] Removal is performed on an outpatient basis and requires about ten minutes.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Sullivan S, Stein R, Jonnalagadda S, Mullady D, Edmundowicz S (2013). "Aspiration therapy leads to weight loss in obese subjects: a pilot study". Gastroenterology. 145 (6): 1245–52.e1–5. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2013.08.056. PMC 4025911. PMID 24012983.
- ^ a b Blythe Bernhard (June 15, 2016). "Reverse feeding tube developed in St. Louis is approved to treat obesity". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
- ^ a b c d FDA release. June 14, 2016
- ^ a b c d "Aspire Bariatrics website". Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2016-06-16.
- ^ Kumar, N (25 July 2015). "Endoscopic therapy for weight loss: Gastroplasty, duodenal sleeves, intragastric balloons, and aspiration". World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 7 (9): 847–59. doi:10.4253/wjge.v7.i9.847. PMC 4515419. PMID 26240686.