Gastric Electrical Stimulation with the Enterra System: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Devices
• Neuromodulation

Background:

• Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) is an implantable therapy for severe gastroparesis.
• Refractory gastroparesis significantly impacts patient quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review evidence on GES for refractory gastroparesis.
• To propose standardized assessment and follow-up protocols.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, etc.).
• Keywords included 'gastric electrical stimulation', 'gastroparesis', 'nausea', 'vomiting', and related terms.
• 21 studies met inclusion criteria from 1139 identified articles.

Main Results:

• Variable study quality and outcome measures were noted.
• Included studies indicated significant symptom severity reduction.
• Gastric emptying improvements were inconsistent and often uncorrelated with symptom relief.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence for GES in gastroparesis is limited and heterogeneous.
• High-quality trials are essential to establish efficacy and identify appropriate patient candidates.
• Standardized pre-operative assessment and post-operative measurements are needed.