Aspiration Therapy

Aspiration therapy is a novel endoscopic bariatric therapy that allows patients a means of removing a portion of an ingested meal through a modified percutaneous gastrostomy tube called an A-Tube. In addition to removing a portion of the calories ingested after a meal, patients eat fewer calories than before initiating therapy and anecdotally make healthier food choices. Unlike other Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved endoscopic bariatric therapies such as intragastric balloons, aspiration therapy with the AspireAssist (Aspire Bariatrics, King of Prussia, PA) was approved for greater than six months and in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 to 55 kg/m2. In multiple studies, the AspireAssist has shown to be an effective means of weight loss. The largest trial to date reported a low serious adverse event rate and there have been no deaths reported to date. In addition, there is no evidence of worsening of eating behaviors with aspiration therapy. This chapter will outline aspiration therapy as a novel, safe approach for weight loss in patients with obesity.