Gastric electrical stimulation in gastroparesis: where do we stand?
Gastroparesis is a chronic disabling condition of impaired gastric motility that results in decreased quality of life. Currently available medical therapy consists of prokinetic and/or antiemetic therapy, dietary modifications, and nutritional supplementation. For patients with medication-resistant gastroparesis a non-pharmacological therapy, gastric electric stimulation, has evolved over the last decade. Based on the frequency of the electrical stimulus, gastric electric stimulation can be classified into low- and high-frequency gastric electric stimulation. The first method aims to normalize gastric dysrhythmia and entrain gastric slow waves and accelerates gastric emptying, whereas high-frequency gastric electric stimulation is unable to restore normal gastric emptying, but nevertheless stunningly reduces symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, re-establishes quality of life, nutritional state in all patients, and metabolic control in patients with diabetic gastroparesis. Gastric electric stimulation presents a new possibility in the treatment of gastroparesis.
Monnikes
Hubert
H
Department of Medicine, Division of Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Endocrinology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. hubert.moennikes@charite.de
van der Voort
Ivo R
IR
D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005746:Gastric Emptying / Q000502:physiology; D018589:Gastroparesis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016065:Myoelectric Complex, Migrating / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome