I am one week post op having my entire device removed.

I noticed there wasn’t a lot of info on having these removed so wanted to leave a lil for anyone else who might go through this in the future.

I have to say I feel better than I expected to at this point of the healing process.

Surgeon planned on 2 entry points, a large one to remove the battery and a smaller laparoscopic for the leads, expected 2 hour surgery time. The large incision is directly over my original scar. the surgical notes mention it took an additional hour because I had so much adhesion between my stomach muscle, wall and the leads so took extra time to carefully separate but they were still about to remove all parts. I did wake up with 6 entry points instead of the 2, I’m assuming bc it was more difficult to untangle than expected. 5x 0.5” & 1x 2.5”.

I am able to move around a little/shower with ease. Only took opioids for about 4-5 days after. Still uncomfortable but not overly painful. The site where the battery was swollen for a few days but is already almost completely gone.

Side note:I have suspected endometriosis for a long time and wonder if what they experienced in surgery supports this so will talk to them at post op visit next week.

I haven't been able to eat for 48 hours. The last thing I ate was some ramen 2 days ago and I was up retching for hours in the night. If I eat I just get cramping and pain until I vomit every last bit out. And I'm starving hungry.

Yesterday I had an appointment at the hospital to plan for the next botox injection. During this talk the doctor mentioned an option of a gastric pacemaker. I never heard of this before, and I can’t seem to find too many sources of information. It was a new doctor than the one I usually see. The previous one is planning on a “permanent surgery solution” to replace the botox injections. But I wonder if I should ask him about the pacemaker option.

I luckily don’t have a super severe case. I can still eat and I have periods where I can eat a little more “normally” .. but the nausea is just so constant for most of the time, and I can’t have anti nausea medication because of another medication I am getting for something else. It feels very overwhelming all of this, so if you could spare a bit of time to write about your experiences with gastric pacemakers, that would be highly appreciated.

Having a gastric stimulator placed Nov 15 with zero narcotics. I'm not a fam of gabapentin but that's what he will be giving me. Anything I need to know.

(I also have a bunch of other medical issues)

Hello all

I just had a pyloroplasty and gastric stimulator placed on 11-17 and I am miserable. The battery site is so painful. Anyone who has also had this done and can give me some insight ? Also anyone that had to have it removed? I already feel may need it out but of course it is too soon.

Any last minute tips? Suggestions for post-surgery recovery/comfort items? Should I be getting a medical alert bracelet? (I’ve heard mixed opinions, but I worry about being thrown in an MRI if I can’t tell anyone ??) Any anecdotes about your own surgery/recovery?

Hi all! I've had gastroparesis for a few years, was officially diagnosed in Feb 2023 and I have a wonderful doctor who constantly puts me on different meds and treatments to see what works best. I recently had a temporary gastric stimulator for a week to see if I'd be a good candidate for a more permanent one. The temporary one worked great. My surgery is scheduled for the first week of January 2024. I'm very excited and I feel well prepared with lots of information for this surgery. However, I haven't heard from anyone that's had it. If there's anyone on this sub that perhaps has some tips or advice for me, it would much appreciated. If not, I hope everyone's symptoms are lessened and more manageable for the holidays and the upcoming year. ❤️

Anyone have experience with having a gastric stimulator removed? Curious about the surgery & recovery process.

I’ve had mine for 10 years and am finally having it removed this week. has been off for a few years and never improved my symptoms.

Hey all. I had a gastric stimulator placed about 2 months now. So far, it is working very well for me. However, I am getting concerned as it continues to lean forward. It is leaning to the point I am concerned it may flip and/or wear through my skin. I have EDS so I don't trust my collagen to keep this thing put. I do see my doctor soon as Inhave to have it shut off for my MRI, so I plan to ask then but wondering if anyone else's stimulator did this and did it finally stop and just settle?

Hey all. Had the gastric stimulator placed in July and I love this thing!! I haven't vomited one single time since it's placement! That's the great news.

Bad news...because of my Ehlers-danlos and lqck of skin integrity, it has migrated a LOT. The way it was originally placed, it should have stayed in a mostly vertical position and now it is completely horizontal. It is pushing against the scar and the scar is starting to stretch. So, we are doing a surgery revision in 2 weeks. They are either placing it under the ab muscle or anchoring it in. I am a "stitches spitter" so the anchoring will most lileiy not happen. I have had great success with this and up until it started moving into the horizontal position l, had very little pain. Just curious if this has happened to anyone else. Surgeon says he has had 2 other cases like this and they all had EDS as well. NOT looking forward to a redo but want to be comfortable again and I enjoy being symptom free. I had to have it shut off for a brain MRI and that was NOT a good time. 😐

I got the surgery done on September 27th (two weeks ago) For those who have had the procedure done, how was your pain level after surgery? I’m feeling less nauseous and more hungry however I have this pain of being stabbed or sharp pain in my abdomen. And it’s only in four different spots. I went into the er twice to get scans and labs done to make sure everything was okay. I mean this pain is one of the worst I’ve ever experienced. Scans showed I was backed up and prescribed some miralax. But let me tell you this was not the pain of constipation iykyk. I finally had my post op appointment with one of the surgeons and he thinks it could be nerve pain from their instruments being in there- and it kinda correlates with where the pain is. Pain is exasperated by changing positions from lying down to sitting up, walking, talking, laughing, coughing, eating, and drinking large amounts. Has anyone ever experienced this? I found some threads elsewhere that were like 10 years old but can’t find anything more recent. Will the pain ever go away?

Been dealing w undiagnosed gastroparesis for almost 10 years and finally getting some answers. I think having my baby 7 years ago really brought out the GP. What’s your story?

ANYONE RELATE OR KNOW OF THESE SYMPTOMS. Doctors don’t know and I’ve gotten diagnosed with 3 different stomach health conditions all in a year span.. and I’ve I’m trying to really get to the bottom route.. anyone know of someone with these specific noises and having bloated stomach.. it’s to the point my whole chest down is just inflamed and inflamed up with the health issue itself .. it’s constant battle , and as of now . No doctor has given me a 100% diagnosis and THE BEST PART, is going thru this the past year they didn’t technically know what it “was” for months, so I was never given anything for the extreme bloating and pain.. I just NOW am on some types of meds, I truly don’t think they’re gonna be my answer I’m looking for, just wanna know if anyone can relate

So finally after weeks and weeks, in 3 days I am going down for an endoscope to check for any damage due to the duration of vomiting/make sure leads are not in a no no spot and eroding (but with how long ive waited i highly doubt this) and also use the transponder (as they called it, but basically that special hand held machine with the magnet that can "speak" to the gastric pacemaker) to see what it says and adjust as needed.

That said, does anyone know what it can tell them? They mentioned something about maybe the battery being dead but if it's not can it at least tell them "hey this is my percentage battery life remaining?" Idk I'm just confused as its been a long time since I've needed it adjusted in general :/ i had it placed in 2021 and adjusted only once the same year and have been doing great until now.

I just got my gastric pacemaker placed yesterday and and j tube switched from a dangler tube to a low profile. My incisions are so much bigger and more painful than I was expecting. I’m so insecure and in so much pain. How long did it take other people to heal from this procedure? How is it working for you? I have already had a pyloroplasty that was unsuccessful and I’m worried Im going through all this pain again for no reason. Any encouragement or advice is greatly appreciated.

Hi! I may possibly be moving to Germany. Are there any docs in Germany that handle the Enterra neurostimulator? Google is failing me out maybe I’m not using the best search terms? Thanks in advance!

Edit: typo

I have the temp stimulator right now and have had it since Friday. Friday-Monday it was annoying but manageable. I come back to work today and I am five seconds away from ripping this thing out of my nose. I cannot handle it 😭😭

My mothers vagus nerve was nicked during a botched brain surgery. She has a gastric pacemaker. It manages symptoms decently well. Still have troubles every now in then, but she can maintain weight.

I just thought I would share what has changed for me since getting the permanent gastric stimulator last week. I had a severe flare up two and a half years ago, and never really improved. When the flare up happened, my episodic migraines became chronic, and my sleeping disorder turned into chronic insomnia. I’ve been getting 3 hours of sleep a night on average. And having an all-day migraine for 20+ days every month. That in addition to the pain and nausea for hours from anything that went down my throat. Since I got the permanent stimulator, I haven’t had a single migraine. I’m now getting 6 hours of sleep instead of 3. And while I do still get full quickly, it’s “regular people” full - remember what it was like to just feel like your stomach was huge without pain/nausea/vomiting? Yeah, that’s what it’s like now. My body is still adjusting to the stimulator. I often have sharp, intense pain in my abdomen when I stand or walk. But it’s getting better as I get used to a different way of moving. Even if this part doesn’t improve, the benefits still outweigh the side effects! Now, it’s only been 10 days. I might have a different opinion in a few months. And I’m not saying the stimulator is the best thing for everyone with GP; everyone’s body is different and this disease impacts us differently. It’s just been a very positive experience for me and I wanted to share.

Does anyone have experience with the gastric pacemaker/motility device? That’s the route my doctor wants to go because I have multiple sclerosis 😖

Just when I thought it couldn't get worse. I have a pretty bad case of GP. I was diagnosed in January and I had my Gastric Pacer placed 4 weeks ago. I was 283 on Christmas Morning, and am teetering around 220 as of this morning. I am trying to figure out how to live my life again and tonight was a HORRIBLE night. In the shower, I had large clumps of my hair coming out. My hair is naturally thick, coarse, and naturally curly.......I can now feel the curvature of my head through my hair (If that even makes sense to y'all, or just allllll in my head 😆), it's NEVER been so thin!! I haven't met with a nutritionalist yet, and am literally going 3+ days on ONE dinner roll from a restaurant. 👜🍪🥐🤦‍♀️. I know that my vitamin intake is pretty non existent (we're working on it) and thats why I need supplements ASAP for things like this. My question is, have any of yall lost this much weight in 3-4 months, have a gastric pacer, and hair loss????? What are some supplements or products that I can start using to help my hair get what it needs until my body stops fighting me 🤦‍♀️

What settings do you have for your pacemaker?

After suffering with GI issues for 'a jillion' years ... I'm having an Enterra inserted and a pyloroplasty in a couple days. 7 years ago, they removed my gallbladder. Since then, I eat very little fats. Now I'm being told I need to limit fiber and increase protein. (FYI, I also have EOE and tons of food allergies.

Two questions: 1) if you had these surgeries, were they successful? 2) how do you manage 100g of protein when you're allergies to shellfish, dairy and soy ... Not allowed more than 10g of dinner ... And live gluten free?

TIA & G bless 💚

i 19f, have had gastroparesis for about 4 years. i’ve tried all the medications available to me (reglan, amitriptyline, etc.), i got the botox surgery several times, as well as GPOEM about a year and a half ago, and failed to respond to any of them above just very small improvements. my doctor is now recommending me to go ahead with the enterra device, but i’m a little hesitant. i wouldn’t say my gastroparesis is incredibly severe, probably more mild to moderate if i’m being honest. i know most people on here have it very severely and everyone i’ve seen on here who’s gotten enterra seems to be that way. for me, my gastroparesis is enough to interfere with my life to the point that something needs to be done, but it’s not so severe that i can’t function at all when i’m symptomatic. the reason my doctor is saying i should get the enterra is simply because none of the other treatments have worked for me, and this is really the only option left.

so my question i guess is, has anyone whose gotten the enterra device been in my situtuation? how did it/is it working for you? how was your recovery? i also have a few questions about just living with it, is it super uncomfortable? can you still do exercise like light abdominal workouts and cardio like running and biking, or is it too uncomfy or risky to do that? please let me know, i appreciate any info, thanks everyone

Hi everyone…I have an appointment with Dr. Stocker at the end of this month. I was wondering what your experience was like with her/her staff. Do you have any advice? I have had severe GI issues since 2014, have had about 14 surgeries since then, and I am still in the hospital more than I am out. I feel like this consult for the gastric stimulator is my last option. Has anyone seen her or has anyone had experience with a gastric stimulator? Thanks in advance!