Here’s what you should know.
1. The study proved that AspireAssist is a viable alternative to bariatric surgery. Patients treated with the device “showed improvement in eating habits, with better food choices and more thorough chewing,” said Christopher Thompson, MD, a co-principal investigator on the study.
2. Surgeons implant the device during a 15-minute outpatient procedure, which is fully reversible.
3. For the study, 207 participants were randomly treated with the device and counseling or with counseling alone. Initial results showed that after 52-weeks patients lost, on average, 31 percent of their excess weight when treated with the device and counseling.
4. Abdominal pain and discomfort in the perioperative period were among the most common adverse events.
5. AspireAssist is for adults with BMIs in the range of 35 to 55. It received premarket approval from the FDA and is commercially available.
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