The AspireAssist® device is a very different and unique tool for weight loss. Sadly, because of financial struggles following the COVID-19 pandemic, the company that made it stopped operations in February 2022. Even though the device is no longer being produced, you might still hear about it or even see it mentioned on tests because some people who had it as part of their weight loss journey are still out there. It’s kind of like the lap band procedure—although it’s not very common anymore, it’s still important to understand how it works. Who knows, maybe someday another company will bring back the AspireAssist® or create something similar to try to continue what it started.
So, how did this unusual device work? To put it simply, the AspireAssist® device allowed people to remove a portion of the food they had just eaten from their stomach. Some experts even called this “surgical bulimia,” because it allowed patients to get rid of calories after a meal. To set it up, the patient needed to have a procedure called an endoscopy, which is where a doctor places a tube called a gastrostomy tube into the stomach. This tube connected to an external device that the patient could carry around on a lanyard.
Here’s how the process worked: about 30 minutes after eating a meal, the person would go to the bathroom and attach the device to the tube in their stomach. By using gravity (not suction), the device would drain about 30% of the calories from the meal into the toilet. It wasn’t just a simple drain; the device also had a special water-filled bag that could be squeezed to flush out any leftover food particles, keeping the tube clean and ready for the next use.
The AspireAssist® device was meant for people with a body mass index (BMI) between 35 and 55, which is a wider range compared to some other weight loss devices, like gastric balloons. While gastric balloons only last for about six to eight months, the AspireAssist® device was designed for long-term use. However, it wasn’t suitable for everyone. People with eating disorders like bulimia, binge eating disorder, or night eating syndrome couldn’t use it. The device also had other restrictions similar to those of regular gastrostomy tubes. Plus, patients had to be mentally and physically capable of managing the device, which meant they needed to have the right schedule, mindset, and commitment to use it properly.
Despite how strange it might sound, the AspireAssist® device actually had some good results. One of the biggest studies on it, called the PATHWAY study, showed that patients who used it lost and kept off between 14% and 18% of their total body weight over four years. In fact, 70% of the people in the study managed to maintain a weight loss of at least 10%. That’s a pretty decent outcome, especially when you consider how hard it is for many people to keep weight off over the long term. The device was generally safe, too. Most of the complications that happened were minor and could be fixed by removing the device.
Even though the AspireAssist® was a pretty odd way to lose weight, it still provided a safe, long-term option that worked for some people. It’s important to have lots of different ways to treat obesity because people gain weight for many different reasons. What works for one person might not work for another. For example, some people need medications, while others benefit from surgeries or behavioral changes. Each person’s journey with weight loss is unique, and having a variety of tools to help treat this disease is essential.
Some people might have found the AspireAssist® device helpful and effective, while others probably thought it was too strange or complicated. It’s easy to see why it could be a hard sell for many, especially since it required such a serious commitment to the process. Still, the device did have some real benefits, and for those who used it and found success, it might have been life-changing.
It’s unfortunate that the AspireAssist® company had to close its doors, but it’s possible that the idea isn’t gone forever. With obesity rates continuing to rise, researchers and medical professionals are constantly searching for new and effective ways to help people lose weight and keep it off. The AspireAssist® device was one of many attempts to think outside the box, and even if it wasn’t for everyone, it still played a role in the ongoing fight against obesity.
One thing to appreciate is the dedication of scientists and doctors who keep working to develop new options for weight loss. Obesity is a complex condition with many different causes, from genetics to lifestyle to emotional and psychological factors. That’s why it’s so important to have a broad range of treatments. Whether it’s through devices like the AspireAssist®, surgery, medication, or therapy, every little bit helps in the struggle to make weight loss more manageable for those who need it.
So while the AspireAssist® may not be around today, its story isn’t just a tale of failure. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come in understanding and treating obesity and how creative we sometimes have to get to solve big health problems. The journey toward better, more effective weight loss treatments is ongoing, and each tool that comes along—whether successful or not—brings us one step closer to helping people live healthier lives.