Intractable gastroparesis: treatment with percutaneous fluoroscopically guided gastrostomies

Gastroparesis is a relatively uncommon disorder which may develop in some patients with diabetes mellitus, or after gastric surgery. It is often manifested by intractable nausea and vomiting, leading to malnourishment and poor blood sugar control in the diabetic patient. We describe such a patient who was diabetic, and who also had a previous vagotomy and pyloroplasty. Currently acceptable pharmacologic treatment was unsuccessful. The patient's problems were successfully treated, however, by double-percutaneous fluoroscopically guided gastrostomy catheter insertions. One of the gastrostomy catheters was placed in the gastric fundus and linked externally to a second (feeding) catheter that had been placed previously at the duodenal-jejunal flexure. The patient has remained symptom free in the 14 months since the procedure. Other available treatments are discussed, and the authors recommend that this simple and safe method be considered in treating severe intractable gastroparesis.