Expert Treatment for Gastroparesis and Digestive Disruption

Patients who have certain types of stomach dysfunction — including gastroparesis, a condition that prevents the stomach from emptying properly — often face recurrent digestive challenges, including nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

To ease these symptoms, our providers may recommend treatment using a gastric pacemaker, also known as a gastric electrical stimulator. This surgically implanted device uses electrical stimulation to regulate stomach muscle contractions and improve digestive function.

How Does a Gastric Pacemaker Work?

During gastric pacemaker surgery, our surgeons implant the device in a patient’s abdomen using a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure. During this process, surgeons use laparoscopic tools, thin rods equipped with a camera lens and surgical tools, to insert the pacemaker without the need for large incisions.

Once in place, the pacemaker sends mild electrical impulses to the stomach wall through two small wires. These signals prompt the stomach muscles to contract correctly.

Gastric pacemakers encourage the stomach to completely empty, ensuring that food proceeds properly to the small intestine and that overall digestion flows as it should. External controllers allow doctors to program signals from the gastric pacemaker to fit each patient’s individual needs.

What to Expect Following Gastric Pacemaker Placement

You might require one or more post-surgery office visits to fine-tune and optimize your gastric pacemaker signal settings using the device’s external controls.

Once in place, gastric pacemakers typically last from 5 to 7 years. After that, patients may need to undergo another non-invasive surgery to replace their pacemaker battery or to insert a new pacemaker.

Fortunately, gastric pacemakers have a high degree of success in treating gastroparesis and other digestive dysfunction. Many patients report a dramatic decrease in their nausea and vomiting symptoms after gastric pacemaker placement.