Electroceutical Approaches for Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is a symptomatic chronic clinical syndrome where there is delayed emptying of the stomach in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Typical symptoms of gastroparesis include early satiety, nausea and vomiting and it severely affects nutritional intake. For patients with diabetes, glycaemic control will be negatively impacted, with possible secondary effects on other organs that affect mortality rate. Conventional drug treatment and nutritional support fail some patients and new therapy options are required. High-frequency electrical stimulation is a treatment strategy that is employed in severe cases of gastroparesis. In this chapter, an overview of the electrophysiological slow waves is given, followed by emerging trends in novel electrical stimulation therapies in the stomach, with an emphasis on gastroparesis.