Michigan Physician Successfully Performs First AspireAssist Non-Surgical Weight Loss Procedures in the State

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Endoscopic Solutions, a Clarkston-based gastroenterology center, today announced it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to perform AspireAssist, the newest advancement in non-surgical weight loss procedures.

With the AspireAssist weight loss program, patients on average can expect to lose about 40 percent of their excess weight in the first six months. In clinical trials, the most successful patients were those who made substantial lifestyle changes and used the device regularly, losing over 100 pounds in the first year.

Dr. Veslav Stecevic, founder and president of Endoscopic Solutions, performed the first two AspireAssist procedures in Michigan, marking the first Michigan and Ohio residents to receive the therapy since FDA approval.

“AspireAssist allows patients to remove about 30 percent of the food from the stomach after eating and before the calories are absorbed into the body, thus causing weight loss,” says Dr. Stecevic. “The AspireAssist program includes physician follow up and monthly nutrition counseling, in person or through our partnered online nutrition and fitness counseling service Virtual Health Partners. This makes it even more convenient to provide the aftercare to patients from the comforts of their own home.”

Dr. Stecevic says after a 15-minute procedure in the surgery center, a thin tube is placed in the patient’s stomach that connects the inside of the stomach directly to a button on the outside of the abdomen. After eating a meal, a small device enables the patient to empty up to 30 percent of their meal into the toilet through this tube by connecting the device to the button. Once the desired weight loss is obtained, the tube can be taken out or remain in place and continued to be used indefinitely.