Treatment Options

Medication and dietary modifications reduce symptoms for some patients, but not for everyone. Patients whose symptoms can’t be effectively managed with medications may find relief through surgical intervention such as gastric stimulation.

There is no cure for gastroparesis. Several treatments are available that improve symptoms and offer a more comfortable lifestyle:

• Dietary Modifications
  This can help reduce symptoms and maintain adequate fluids and nutrition. A modified diet typically consists of liquids, restricted fats and plant fiber, and frequent, small meals.
• Medications
  Prokinetic drugs may improve the rate of stomach emptying and thereby reduce nausea and vomiting. Antiemetic drugs can control nausea and vomiting, but have no effect on stomach emptying.
• Supplemental Nutrition
  Enteral nutrition, the delivery of liquid nutrients via a tube placed directly into the stomach or small intestine, are usually temporary and used only when gastroparesis is severe. TPN supplies nutrients to your bloodstream through an intravenous (IV) infusion. TPN is used only if enteral feeding is not tolerated or is insufficient to meet caloric needs.
• Enterra Therapy
  this is a surgical option in which a small, programmable, medical device called a neurostimulator (commonly referred to as a gastric pacemaker) is implanted under the skin, usually in the lower abdomen, along with leads that are placed in the muscle along the wall of the stomach. The device sends mild electrical pulses to stimulate the stomach, helping to control chronic nausea and vomiting associated with gastroparesis.
• Pyloroplasty
  Patients who also suffer from chronic ulcers that have caused scarring and narrowing of the stomach may also require pyloroplasty which can be performed at the same time their neurostimulator is being placed. Through pyloroplasty, the lower part of your stomach is opened slightly so that the contents can empty into the small intestine more effectively.

*Any combination of diet modification, medication, nutritional support, surgery, and Enterra Therapy may be necessary to control symptoms of gastroparesis.

Schedule a consultation.

Call 606.780.5500 to request a consultation with St. Claire HealthCare's Gastric Motility Clinic to see if Enterra Therapy for gastroparesis is right for you. No referral needed.