Temple Using "Stomach Pacemaker" To Provide Relief For Chronic Nausea And Vomiting Associated With Gastroparesis

The pacemaker -- officially called a gastric electrical stimulator -- is currently FDA-approved for compassionate use and is meant for patients for whom conventional drug therapy has failed. During the operation, which is performed under general anesthesia, the surgeon implants two small electrodes in the muscle wall of the stomach. The lead is then connected to the implantable neurostimulator that is placed beneath the skin, usually positioned below the rib cage and above the belt line in the abdomen. The pacemaker then emits 12 mild electrical pulses a minute to stimulate the stomach.

"Results of a clinical trial show that a majority of patients treated with the pacemaker experienced a reduction of vomiting episodes greater than 50 percent at 12 months," says Dr. Henry Parkman, director of Temple’s GI Motility Laboratory. "Patients also experienced improvements in other upper gastrointestinal symptoms, solid food intake, as well as significant improvements in health-related quality of life."