G-POEM or conventional treatment?

Typically gastroparesis patients will be prescribed drugs which can help food pass through the digestive system more easily and others which help the muscles contract normally. Despite this, the symptoms of gastroparesis can be very troublesome and can significantly affect the quality of life of many patients. For patients who are still experiencing problems surgery (called pyloroplasty) might help.

Unlike surgery, G-POEM is an endoscopic procedure. This means no cuts are made to the abdomen (incisionless) to perform the operation and there is no external scarring. Instead, the procedure involves an endoscope passing down into the oesophagus to reach the pylorus.

A small cut is made into the inner layer of the stomach wall using a specialised electrosurgical knife which tunnels below the inner lining of the stomach, allowing the muscles to be safely cut. As it is all performed internally (like with all endoscopic procedures) there are no stitches or skin wounds to worry about.

The procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic and involves a short stay in hospital (overnight usually) as it is important to monitor the patient after the procedure. After the immediate recovery period the patient will need to follow a strict diet for a week to protect the stomach lining as it heals.