A new weapon in the battle of the bulge has been invented by the same man who invented the Segway — a pump that will literally suck food from the stomach. Dean Kamen, in collaboration with Aspire Bariatrics, has applied for a patent for an at-home device that's meant to treat the morbidly obese and provide an alternative to invasive gastric bypass surgery.
While the patient is under light sedation (as opposed to general anesthesia for gastric bypass surgery), a thin, silicone rubber tube is inserted into the stomach using an endoscope. Then the tube is pulled through the abdominal wall via a small incision (one centimeter). A Skin-Port the size of a poker chip will be attached after the patient heals to allow for stomach pumping.
The AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System is an out-patient procedure that's much less invasive than gastric bypass, has fewer side effects, and is completely reversible. It only takes only about 20 minutes, and patients can return home within a few hours.
Aspiration therapy has already been tested on 24 obese patients who lost an average of 44 pounds in a year. Patients can eat and drink as much as they like, then drain part of their stomach contents into a bucket via the tube using a small handheld device. The aspiration, which is done about 20 minutes after a meal is finished, takes 5 to 10 minutes.
In the U.S. trial, patients lost an average of 49 percent of their extra pounds. However, those who changed to healthier diets while using the pump lost 100 percent of their excess weight.
The device has not been approved by the FDA.