Medtronics, who purchased the original maker (Transneuronix) of the gastric pacemaker, has withdrawn the gastric pacemaker from the global market indefinitely for weight loss surgery. The doctors we have contacted, all recommended the gastric banding procedure for clients seeking the gastric pacemaker procedure. It is still used for gastroparesis, a condition where the patient cannot keep food down.

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• History of the Gastric Pacemaker
• Length of Time for the Gastric Pacemaker Procedure
• How the Gastric Pacemaker Works

History of the Gastric Pacemaker

Dr. Valerio Cigaina of the University of Verona Medical School’s Gastroenterology Department first developed thegastric pacemaker for the treatment of obesity and possibly anorexia. As mentioned on ABC’s 20/20 this year, the new device has a profound effect on hunger. One rate of stimulation creates hunger and the other, satiation.

Length of Time for the Gastric Pacemaker Procedure

The Implantable Gastric Stimulator (IGS) requires an approximately 1-hour laparoscopic insertion time using 4-6 trocar sites

How the Gastric Pacemaker Works

The experimental device, called an implantable gastric stimulator, is a small battery-operated electrical generator about the size of pocket watch. It is surgically implanted in the abdomen. Two wires connect it to the stomach wall. Just like a pacemaker sends electrical impulses to the heart, the experimental gastric pacemaker gives a small current to the stomach through 4 electrodes on the wires.

The electrical current is activated, adjusted, and monitored by a hand-held computer in the doctor’s office. The computer communicates to the pacemaker through a radio signal. Patients typically feel no pain during gastric stimulation. It is unclear how the electrical current actually works, but there are 3 possible explanations:

1. The gastric pacemaker might cause the stomach to relax and signal a feeling of fullness.
2. The gastric pacemaker could inhibit stomach hormones that normally increase appetite.
3. The gastric pacemaker could send a satiety message to the brain.

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