Gastric Diseases Program
The Gastric Diseases Program is dedicated to the care of patients with disorders of stomach emptying, vomiting, and infectious or inflammatory diseases of the stomach. This includes:
Gastroparesis and delayed gastric emptying
Gastroparesis is a gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorder when there is objective delay in gastric emptying in the absence of any of the following:
- Mechanical obstruction
- Biochemical disorder (electrolyte imbalance, diabetes, hypothyroidism)
- Gastric infection (e.g., H. pylori gastritis, cytomegalovirus [CMV] gastritis, bacterial overgrowth)
- Medication side effect
- Significant non-infectious gastroduodenal inflammation (e.g., eosinophilic gastroenteritis, lymphocytic gastritis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, vasculitis)
Gastric dumping
Symptoms of gastric dumping are caused when a child has rapid gastric emptying or when food moves too quickly from the stomach into the small bowel. Patients may have symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, or complain of feeling lightheaded or tired after a meal.
Gastric pacing (HR-EGG)
Gastric pacing is a treatment of delayed gastric emptying or gastroparesis where electrode are surgically implanted in the patient’s stomach and currents are used to provide electrical stimulation. The stimulation is thought to possibly affect the nerves, especially the nerve that runs from the brain to the abdomen. The electrical stimulation may change how the brain perceives stimulus.
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS)
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a condition that involves recurrent episodes of vomiting with three main features: sudden onset, stereotypical (similar episodes), and periods of wellness between episodes. There is not a single test to diagnose cyclic vomiting syndrome; diagnosis is often made by history, physical exam, and tests to exclude other diseases. CVS occurs in about 1 in 33,000 children and can often be so severe it keeps the affected person from participating in daily activities.