Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is caused by nerve injury, including damage to your vagus nerve. In its normal state, the vagus nerve contracts (tightens) your stomach muscles to help move food through your digestive tract. In cases of gastroparesis, diabetes damages your vagus nerve. This prevents the muscles of your stomach and intestine from working properly, which keeps food from moving from your stomach to your intestines.

Surgery for Gastroparesis:

People with gastroparesis who still have nausea and vomiting even after taking medications may benefit from surgery. One type of surgery for gastroparesis is gastric electrical stimulation, which is a treatment that sends mild electric shocks to your stomach muscles. In this procedure, your provider inserts a small device called a gastric stimulator into your abdomen. The stimulator has two leads that are attached to your stomach and provide mild electric shocks, which help control vomiting. Your provider can adjust the strength of the electric shocks. The device runs on a battery that lasts up to 10 years.

References:

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Gastroparesis. (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/gastroparesis/all-content) Accessed 7/23/2018. American College of Gastroenterology. Gastroparesis. (http://patients.gi.org/topics/gastroparesis/) Accessed 7/23/2018. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Early human experience with Per-Oral Endoscopic Pyloromyotomy (POP). (https://www.sages.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts-archive/early-human-experience-with-per-oral-endoscopic-pyloromyotomy-pop/) Accessed 7/23/2018. Landreneau, J.P., Strong, A.T., El-Hayek, K. et al. Laparoscopic pyloroplasty versus endoscopic per-oral pyloromyotomy for the treatment of gastroparesis. Surg Endosc (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-018-6342-6 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-018-6342-6)

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