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AspireAssist Procedure

WHAT IS THE ASPIREASSIST NON-SURGICAL PROCEDURE?

The AspireAssist is a new, FDA-approved non-surgical and reversible weight loss solution for people with obesity. It is a comprehensive program that includes the device, nutritional counseling and an online community to help keep your weight loss on track.

The AspireAssist procedure was specifically designed for patients with a BMI 35 – 55 who have been unable to lose weight or maintain weight loss through diet and exercise. The AspireAssist has been studied in several hundred patients across both the EU and in the U.S. with consistently excellent weight loss results. The most successful patients in the US Study – those who used the device regularly and made gradual lifestyle changes – lost over 100 pounds in the first year.

HOW DOES ASPIREASSIST PROCEDURE WORK?

The AspireAssist is a simple approach that puts you in control of your own weight loss. It works by reducing the calories absorbed by the body while helping you make gradual, healthy changes to your lifestyle.

After eating, food travels to the stomach immediately where it is temporarily stored and the digestion process begins. Over the first hour after a meal, the stomach begins breaking down the food and then passes the food on to the intestines where calories are absorbed. The AspireAssist allows patients to remove about 30% of the food from the stomach before the calories are absorbed into the body causing weight loss. It also requires you to chew your food very carefully and eat mindfully, giving time for the fullness signals from your stomach to reach your brain so you’re less likely to eat too much.

The AspireAssist allows patients to remove about 30% of the food from the stomach before the calories are absorbed into the body, causing weight loss.

HOW IS THE ASPIREASSIST DEVICE PLACED?

The AspireAssist device is a quick 15 minute procedure performed under “twilight anesthesia” in an outpatient setting. You can often return home within one to two hours or be back at work quickly. It’s that easy to start your weight loss journey!

During the procedure, a small tube is endoscopically inserted into your stomach. The tube connects to a button on the surface of your skin. After you eat a meal, this small and discreet device allows you to empty about 30% of the calories into the toilet. The process is simple and private so no one needs to know.

The tube can be removed at any time through a simple 10 minute outpatient procedure. Removal is similar to the placement procedure and is performed with “twilight anesthesia”. The tube site usually closes naturally on its own afterwards.

Learn the details of the AspireAssist procedure and aspiration process to see how easy it is to control your weight loss.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER THE PROCEDURE

The weight loss journey with the AspireAssist is different for everyone. This section will give you a general idea of what you can expect in the first few days, weeks, months and beyond.

RECOVERY STAGE (FIRST 1 TO 3 DAYS AFTER PROCEDURE)

Congratulations! You have just embarked on a journey that can positively change your life! Firstly, you need to let yourself heal. Over the next week or two, the stoma, or the newly-created pathway where the tube is placed, needs to settle around the tube. You may experience some pain or discomfort but the medication and antibiotics that your physician has prescribed will help.

HEALING STAGE (DAY 3 THROUGH 7)

Patients generally return to work and resume regular activities within a few days. You will likely experience some abdominal discomfort during this healing stage. Make sure you care for your stoma site and take any medications as prescribed.

BUTTON ATTACHMENT (DAY 7)

After about a week, you will return to your physician’s office to have the button attached to the tube, right at the surface of your skin. This only takes a few minutes and is completely painless. After this visit, you’ll need to wait one more week to begin using the AspireAssist to make sure the stoma has fully healed.

ASPIREASSIST TRAINING DAY (DAY 14)

About two weeks after your procedure, your physician will show you how to use the AspireAssist. After this appointment, you will take the AspireAssist kit home with you. This kit includes the small handheld device (about the size of your palm) that helps the food drain from your stomach and a case to store the device after use. The case is small and discreet so it can be carried in a purse or briefcase.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE FIRST YEAR

GETTING STARTED WITH THE ASPIREASSIST (MONTH 1)

In the first month, many patients see weight come off very quickly! The target weight loss is about 1 to 2 pounds per week, but weight loss is likely to be even more rapid during the first few weeks. Each person’s journey will be very different and it may take some time to get used to the device. During this time, you will begin learning how to fit it into your daily routine and how to be comfortable using the AspireAssist. By the end of the first month, patients may feel more energetic and in control of their health already. Your clothes might be fitting looser, too!

Your physician will monitor you carefully to make sure you are losing weight successfully and in a healthy way. You will also have a follow-up visit with your physician a few weeks after starting the AspireAssist. During this visit, your physician may also adjust the length of your tube if you’ve already lost significant weight.

CONTINUING TO SEE RESULTS (MONTH 2 – 6)

Rapid weight loss will continue if you aspirate regularly. By now, you should be aspirating more quickly and effectively. You will have established a routine that incorporates where and how aspirating fits into your day with focus on aspirating after every meal, about 2 – 3 times per day. Your physician will continue to monitor you regularly to make sure you are healthy and to adjust your tube as needed.
By the end of six months, patients lose about 40% of their excess weight on average. With these dramatic changes in weight, many patients begin to make positive changes in their lifestyle including making better food choices and slowly increasing physical activity levels.

FOCUS ON POSITIVE LIFESTYLE CHANGES (MONTH 6 – 12)

For many patients, weight loss continues at a slower pace after 6 months. With reduced body weight, you will need to decrease the amount of calories absorbed by your body to continue losing weight. Aspirating regularly now is more important than ever. This is a great time to focus on making lifestyle changes towards a healthy, balanced life. Exercising will be easier than ever with a leaner body, and your lifestyle counseling will arm you with many tools to develop healthier eating habits.

MAINTAINING WEIGHT LOSS

MAINTAINING YOUR SUCCESS (YEAR 1 AND BEYOND)

Once you’ve reached your goal weight, you need to stay focused on maintaining your weight loss! After one year, many patients find they are eating more healthfully than ever – eating smaller portion sizes, incorporating healthy, nutritious foods into their diet and limiting snacking.

REMOVING THE ASPIREASSIST

Some patients may wish to have the AspireAssist removed after they have reached their weight loss goals. It is recommended that patients stop aspirating at least three months before having the AspireAssist removed to determine if they can maintain their weight loss without it.

WHY CHOOSE ASPIREASSIST PROCEDURE?

  • Non-surgical procedure – The AspireAssist is a breakthrough minimally invasive therapy that has been shown to provide significant weight loss results similar to bariatric surgeries especially for patients with BMI 35 – 55 but without many of the serious complications of invasive surgery.
  • Low risks – The AspireAssist has a low risk of serious complications, similar to feeding tubes which have been used for over 30 years. Side effects are few and generally minor with the most common side effects being abdominal discomfort after the procedure and skin irritation around the button site. Because your gastrointestinal anatomy is not altered, you don’t suffer many of the side effects or risks that are associated with more invasive weight loss procedures.
  • Quick recovery – The AspireAssist is only a quick 15 minutes procedure. Patients are often able to return to work and resume activities in just a few hours.
  • Reversible – Although the AspireAssist is intended for long-term use, it can be removed at any time in a 10-minute same-day procedure.
  • Allows control of your weight loss – The AspireAssist is a simple approach that puts you in control of your own weight loss by reducing the number of calories that your body processes. It also requires you to chew your food very carefully, giving time for the fullness signals from your stomach to reach your brain so you’re less likely to eat too much.
  • Built-in healthy “portion control” – Because aspiration removes only 30% of your meal, it effectively provides “portion control” without deprivation so it’s similar to being compliant with a reduced calorie diet. It is also unlikely to cause nutrient deficits when used properly. Much like reducing portion sizes through a traditional diet, your body will still receive the vital nutrients it needs if you eat well-balanced meals.
  • Healthy, normal lifestyle – Although there are no specific foods that are off-limits with the AspireAssist, you’ll gradually learn healthier behaviors with the lifestyle counseling program to help keep the weight off long-term. Also, since the AspireAssist device system is small and discreet, the process is simple and private, allowing you to lose weight discreetly while still going about your daily activities and routine.
  • Proven real results – Patients lost 3 times as much weight on average with the AspireAssist than those who received only diet and exercise counseling in a US clinical trial.
  • A smart physician-monitored approach – An important part of the AspireAssist therapy is a physician-monitored plan to establish healthier habits and make lifestyle changes that can support your weight loss. The AspireAssist is a powerful tool to reinforce these changes because it helps you learn to chew more carefully and eat more slowly. So while you can see results quickly, you’ll know that you’re also working toward long-lasting change.
  • 12-months support program – You’ll also receive a full year of personalized nutrition, fitness and behavior coaching to support your success and help you make the changes that will encourage a lifetime of healthy living.

ASPIREASSIST PROCEDURE SUPPORT TOOLS

aspireassist-support-toolsTo maximize your weight loss success, Dr. Hamdani’s patients will receive access to an online weight loss Patient Portal, a comprehensive online tool that has everything you need to track your success. The portal includes:

  • One-on-one sessions with nutrition and fitness experts
  • Unlimited messaging with nutrition and fitness experts
  • Free FitBit including tracking and integration with FitBit scale
  • On-demand nutrition and fitness video library
  • Live streamed nutrition and fitness classes
  • Weight, activity and calorie tracking
  • Healthy recipes
  • Patient reminders
  • i-Phone and Android compatible app
  • Ability to share data with your physician

ASPIREASSIST SUCCESS STORIES

See what AspireAssist users are saying about their weight loss journeys and how they achieved success with the AspireAssist.

MEET LOTTA

Watch Lotta discuss her success with the AspireAssist.

Initial Weight/BMI: 312 lbs (141 kgs), BMI 49

Lotta lives in the south of Sweden. She works as an assistant to a disabled woman, helping with everyday tasks in her home. In her spare time, she sings in a choir. There is a lot of music in her life, as her parents, brother and sister are all musicians!

WHY ASPIREASSIST

I was always skinny growing up, but started putting on weight after I got married and had trouble getting pregnant. I was a comfort-eater, and ate to deal with my disappointment. Eventually, I did have a son, but the pounds kept piling on each year from the bad habits I had developed. Although I’ve managed to lose weight temporarily with diets, it always came back on eventually. I knew I had to make a change when I got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes – my sugar levels had skyrocketed – and I got placed on medications. I felt sick physically and psychologically. No one wants to be as heavy as I was! I found out about Aspire through a friend – I figured, this was my chance! Nothing else worked for me, and my aunt, who is a doctor, warned me about the dangers of a gastric bypass or other surgeries.


lotta-before-after-combined See Lotta’s success with the AspireAssist.

MY EXPERIENCE

My A-Tube was placed in July 2012, and I weighed 312 pounds (141 kgs) at the time. The procedure itself was quick and easy – I don’t remember anything. It took me a little while to recover from the procedure, but after I started aspirating, I thought the system was very easy to use. I was very careful to follow all the guidance from my medical team on how to use the device, chew a lot, drink water, and the weight started to come off immediately. For me, the key is to make sure I use it after every meal, and make sure I empty as much as I can, every time.

MY RESULTS

I’ve lost 140 pounds (64 kgs) so far and I feel fantastic – so much more energy, less pain, it’s amazing! I’ve been able to stop taking all my medications, and have started doing yoga to build up my muscle strength. I can even walk into a regular store in town and fit into the clothes – I used to have to go online to find special sizes. Now that I’ve lost the weight, I’m starting to focus more on making positive changes to my eating habits. This is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I feel like a whole new person – Aspire gave me a new life!


MEET MIKE

Watch Mike discuss his success with the AspireAssist.

Initial Weight/BMI: 276 lbs (125 kgs), BMI 39

Mike lives in Sweden with his wife, Ina, and is the proud grandfather of 2-year old Selma. He was trained as a midwife and currently works in the medical technology industry.

MY MOTIVATION

I’ve been struggling with my weight since childhood. I didn’t think about my weight that much when I was younger, but it really started to increase after I became a father. About 2 years ago, my doctor said if I don’t do something about my weight, I’ll have a shorter life – by about 10 years. Around that same time, I became a grandfather and I wanted to see my little granddaughter grow up and graduate. That was my main motivation for losing weight.

I looked into different ways to lose weight, and I’d tried everything – Weight Watchers, diets, even a personal trainer. But nothing has been a long-term solution. I decided not to do bariatric surgery, because I know the risk of it.

When I heard about the AspireAssist, I decided, this is it for me! Well, at first, the concept seemed like a crazy idea – but then I thought, this could really work for me, without all the safety issues with a gastric bypass. Some of my friends said I was crazy to get a procedure done, and even my wife wasn’t sure about it. They thought I wasn’t that overweight. But I knew I was in the danger zone with my health.

What appealed to me most is that was a simple outpatient procedure, without full anesthesia, and that in a few years, I can take the device out if I want to.

mike-before-after-combined See Mike’s success with the AspireAssist.

MY JOURNEY

In July 2012 I had the tube placed – I was one of the first in Sweden. I was a little worried about the procedure itself, but it was no problem. It took 15 minutes, and I don’t remember any of it, but I did have pain for about 3 days afterwards. I had the procedure on a Friday, and was back in my office on Monday.

When I started to use the AspireAssist, I was curious about what it would be like at first – at first I thought it was very easy to use, but I quickly realized that being successful required chewing very carefully. But that gives me another advantage – it makes my portion sizes smaller because I eat more slowly now. I’m much more aware of what I’m eating.

MY RESULTS

To date, I’ve lost 104 pounds (47 kgs). I feel great about that, I love it. The biggest change in my life with this weight loss is my ability to play with my granddaughter. I’m so much more mobile than before. I started exercising again a few months into the therapy – my trainer couldn’t believe my weight loss! I’ve been focusing much more on building muscle mass. Also, I don’t have to take any more medications for diabetes or blood pressure – actually, I don’t take any medications at all anymore!

One of the most fun parts of being my current size is shopping. I love going into a normal store and find my size. I couldn’t do that before, and I hated buying clothes at the “big size” stores.

I’d recommend this to anyone who is obese and is committed to losing weight for good, because it’s been such an easy and positive journey for me. It doesn’t alter your stomach. But you have to be willing to chew your food. The lifestyle counseling, and changing your relationship with food, is essential for success. To keep your weight off for the rest of your life is not a quick fix. It takes work, but it’s worth every single minute.


WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP IF I AM INTERESTED IN THE ASPIREASSIST PROCEDURE?

  1. If you are interested in the AspireAssist procedure and would like to know whether it is right for you, first determine what your BMI is. If your BMI falls between 35 – 55, AspireAssist may be a good weight loss option for you.
  2. Schedule a personal consultation with Dr. Raza Hamdani who will perform a comprehensive medical history and exam to determine whether you are a good candidate for a ReShape procedure. To schedule a consultation, please call our dedicated weight loss line at 630.385.2376. We have Spanish speaking personnel on-staff for Spanish inquiries.
    Schedule a Consultation
  3. If you are interested in financing options, find out more about them so you know your options before your visit with Dr. Hamdani. We offer affordable financing options through Prosper Healthcare Lending and United Medical Credit.
    Learn more about Financing Options
  4. Don’t wait. Let us help you start your weight loss today so you can live your best life.

GET STARTED TODAY

Our team at Advanced GI is happy to speak to you help you understand the weight loss treatments that we offer, or answer any questions you may have. Please contact us online with any questions or call our dedicated weight loss line at 630.385.2376 to speak with us. Contact Us Today!