ASPIRATION THERAPY

Aspiration Therapy

The AspireAssist is the most advanced endoscopic weight-loss technology. The procedure has the patient implant a device along their gastrointestinal tract. Titled the AspireAssist, the device aids the patient in removing an amount of the food they’ve digested. After eating, the patient will dispose of up to 30% of their food while in the privacy of a restroom. 

Aspiration Therapy

One of the greatest achievements in bariatric endoscopic techniques and internal bariatric devices. The AspireAssist is a device that is implanted by endoscopic means. The device has a tube attached to it, which extracts up to 30% of the food which enters the stomach. The food is then pumped into an external container, which the patient can empty at their own discretion. 

Dr. Michel Kahaleh is an expert and specialist in the AspireAssist device and implantation procedure. As a major procedure of his set of bariatric endoscopic techniques, the AspireAssist represents the most advances of the three. 

While the Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty and Gastric Balloon have been proven to be effective, Aspiration Therapy directly forces food which has been consumed out of the stomach of the patient. Meaning that no matter how much the patient has consumed, the calories will be directly removed from the patient's body.

A patient with an AspireAssist implant can expect to remove up to 30% of the calories they’ve consumed from their diet. 20 to 30 minutes after eating, the patient will enter the privacy of a restroom, and empty an amount of the food they have consumed, before the calories can be processed. 

The AspireAssist has a great chance to reduce the weight of a patient by itself, but Dr. Michel Kahaleh always suggests the aid of a bariatric therapist while undergoing and procedure. Any of the weight-loss endoscopic techniques greatly benefit with a holistic lifestyle change in diet and exercise.

How is the AspireAssist Tube Placed?

Once under “twilight” anesthesia, an endoscopic examination is conducted on the gastrointestinal tract. The endoscope enters through the patient's mouth, travels through the esophagus and into the stomach. Attached to the endoscope is a camera. This diagnostic tool allows Dr. Michel Kahaleh to make assessments on the gastrointestinal tract in a minimally invasive manner. 

The entire out-patient procedure only takes up to 20 minutes, with the patient being able to leave home the same day after a couple of hours of observation time. First, Dr. Michel Kahaleh passes the endoscope into the stomach, through the mouth. Then, a small incision is made at the abdomen, a wire is then passed through the abdomen and into the stomach to meet the end of the endoscope. The endoscope and wire meet in the stomach, the endoscope grabs hold of the wire and pulls it back out through the mouth. 

Now the wire extends from out of the mouth, into the stomach, and out the abdomen. From the mouth a tube is passed using the wire to guide it through the gastrointestinal tract. The tube with the AspireAssist device attached to it, enters the stomach. While the device lays in the stomach, the tube exits out through the abdomen. 

How Does the Aspiration Process Work?

Once the procedure is completed and the AspireAssist is implanted into the patient’s stomach, a dedicated team of nutritionists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, and exercise therapists will assist the patient in the device’s usage and their weight-loss journey. 

The device functions by directly removing food from the patient's stomach at a time of their convenience and discretion. Typically 20 to 30 minutes after the patient has finished their entire meal, the patient will go to the restroom and drain the food into the toilet. The entire process takes anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes. Upon completion, the AspireAssist will remove up to 1/3rd of the food the patient previously consumed. 

How Does the AspireAssist Help me Lose Weight?

When the AspireAssist removes the food from the patient's stomach, it also directly removes the calories which would have been ingested. Patients who are undergoing Aspiration Therapy with Dr. Michel Kahaleh will have a team of nutritionists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, and exercise therapists that will guide them with every-step of the way. 

The lifestyle counselling the patient will receive is the brain of Aspiration Therapy, while the AspireAssist device of the heart. Patients will be introduced into group-therapy sessions and one-on-one counseling with seasoned bariatric professionals. Through this commutative support, a patient will be encouraged to naturally be more physically active, eat smaller meals, and choose healthier ingredients. 

Do I Qualify for the AspireAssist Procedure?

The ideal candidate for a Aspiration Therapy will exhibit the following:
  • A body mass index (BMI) between 35 to 55. 
  • A willingness to be observed and interviewed in a medically supervised program
  • Previously tried to lose weight through exercise and diet without any success 
  • Patients who are not candidates for bariatric surgery, or do not wish to undergo bariatric surgery

What can I Expect After the AspireAssist Procedure?

Immediately after the procedure, the patient will be asked to stick around for a short 1 to 2 hours observation period. Before returning home, Dr. Michel Kahaleh will provide the patient with a prescription of antibiotics and pain medication. Patients will not be able to shower for the first two days of returning home, and may experience some discomfort for up to 1 week after the procedure. Although they will be able to return to work and resume regular activity within a few days.

The two weeks following the procedure is a crucial period in which the newly-created pathway for the tube, named the ‘stoma’, will heal. Allowing the tube to settle in place. Typically, the patient will experience some abdominal pain and discomfort. A week after the procedure and once the stoma has begun to set in place, another visit to Dr. Michel Kahaleh is necessary. In order to attach the button to the tube, right above the skin where the abdomen is located. 

This second visit will only take a couple of minutes to complete, and is completely painless. Then, Dr. Michel Kahaleh will make some observations on how the stoma is healing. A week after this follow-up meeting with Dr. Michel Kahaleh, the patient may start operating the AspireAssist. As the stoma should be fully healed, and the patient be fully oriented on how to operate the device. Before returning home, the patient will be given the AspireAssist kit. 

In the AspireAssist kit is a palm sized device which is used to drain the food and a case to store the device after it is used. The case itself is small enough to fit into any purse or small bag. 

The health care team of nutritionists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, and exercise therapists will be with the patient every step of the way of the journey. Along with the guidance of how to use the AspireAssist, the dedicated team will provide the patient with the tools they need to change their lifestyle to support their weight-loss goals. 

How Much Weight can I Expect to Lose?

The most important aspect of this procedure is that it is intended to be done in tandem with specialized diet and exercise. This is why a team of nutritionists, psychiatrists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, and exercise therapists will assist the patient in their weight-loss therapy. 

On average, patients can expect to lose 40% of their excess weight, after a period of 6 months using the Aspire Assist. 

What are the Risks of AspireAssist?

While the AspireAssist is our most advanced bariatric therapy procedure, it is our quickest operation. Immediately following the procedure, the patient can expect abdominal discomfort and pain, which is treated with medication. Some patients may experience nausea or vomiting from the sedation medication used during the operation, this side effect is treated with anti-nausea medication. 

As the patient's body is adjusting to the AspireAssist implant, the most common adverse reaction is skin irritation or granulation tissue around the tube placement site on the abdomen, this is treated with topical medication or silver nitrate sticks. Some patients may experience continual abdominal pains, which is treated with pain medication. It is possible for the abdominal opening to be infected, which is simply treated with some antibiotics. 

Over the many years of Dr. Michel Kahaleh conducting the AspireAssist implant procedure, major complications are very rare.  

Who is not a Candidate for AspireAssist?

Some patients may not be considered a candidate for the procedure if they exhibit any of the following: 
  • Extreme difficulty swallowing or digesting food
  • High blood pressure than cannot be controlled with medication (blood pressure >160/100)
  • Blood clotting disorders
  • Bulimia
  • Binge eating disorder, or night eating syndrome 
  • Anemia 
  • Serious pulmonary (lung) or cardiovascular disease 
  • Chronic abdominal pain
  • Unwillingness to participate in a medically-supervised diet and behavior modification program
  • Alcohol or drug addictions
  • Variceal disease
  • Active ulcers in the stomach or small intestine
  • History of previous stomach ulcers that do not resolve with treatment
  • Inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
  • Daily prescribed treatment with aspirin, anti-inflammatory agents, anticoagulants or other gastric irritants
  • Large hiatal hernia
  • Pregnant or breast-feeding
  • Heartburn symptoms despite taking heartburn medications
  • Previous gastric surgery
  • Prior open or laparoscopic bariatric surgery
  • Physical or mental disability, or psychological illnesses, as it could interfere with compliance with the therapy
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