Gastric Pacing in a Child with Severe Gastroparesis and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Gastroparesis is a disorder characterised by symptoms of and evidence for gastric retention in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, early satiety, postprandial fullness, regurgitation and abdominal pain. Common causes of gastroparesis are diabetes, post-surgical and idiopathic. In some patients, gastroparesis can be very severe and refractory to medical therapy including anti-emetics, anti-reflux and pro-kinetic medications. Gastric electrical stimulation represents a novel treatment for severe gastroparesis by regulating gastric electrical dysfunction with a neurostimulator. In adult studies, vomiting frequency has been reduced by up to 81% from baseline. We report a case of a 13-year-old girl with life-long severe idiopathic gastroparesis who was successfully treated by gastric pacing.