Gastric pacing is a new surgical treatment for gastroparesis.
BACKGROUND
Gastroparesis is a chronic gastric motility disorder affecting mostly young and middle-aged women who present with nausea, abdominal pain, early satiety, vomiting, fullness, and bloating.


METHODS
From April 1998 to September 2000, 25 patients underwent gastric pacemaker placement. All had documented delayed gastric emptying by a radionucleotide study. Nineteen patients had diabetic gastroparesis, 3 had developed postsurgical gastroparesis, and 3 had idiopathic gastroparesis. Baseline and postoperative follow-ups were done by a self-administered questionnaire on which the patients rated the severity and frequency of nausea and vomiting. Gastric emptying times were also followed up using a radionucleotide technique.


RESULTS
Both the severity and frequency of nausea and vomiting improved significantly at 3 months and was sustained for 12 months. Gastric emptying time was also numerically faster over the 12-month period. Three of the devices have been removed. One patient died of causes unrelated to the pacemaker 10 months postoperatively.


CONCLUSIONS
After placement of the gastric pacemaker, patients rated significantly fewer symptoms and had a modest acceleration of gastric emptying.
Forster
J
J
Department of Surgery, Kansas University Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160-7309, USA. jforster@kumc.edu
Sarosiek
I
I
Delcore
R
R
Lin
Z
Z
Raju
G S
GS
McCallum
R W
RW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012086:Reoperation; D013270:Stomach