Enterra Therapy - The Nebraska Medical Center

What Does It Treat?

Enterra Therapy is an innovative approach to treating patients with chronic nausea and vomiting caused by a medical condition known as gastroparesis. Gastroparesis is partial paralysis of the stomach which causes food to remain in the stomach longer than normal. Patients with gastroparesis experience a variety of gastrointestinal problems that prevent them from eating normally. That includes frequent nausea and several episodes of vomiting a day.

Many people who have gastroparesis have developed it as a result of having Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

How The Device Works

Although it isn't a cure for gastroparesis, Enterra Therapy can greatly reduce episodes of nausea and vomiting. A small, battery-powered neurostimulator is implanted beneath the skin in the lower abdomen. Two small wires are implanted in the muscle wall of the stomach and are connected to the neurostimulator. A handheld, external device is used by the doctor to adjust the therapy for each patient. A study of patients using the Enterra Therapy device showed weekly incidents of vomiting dropped as much as 88 percent after the device was implanted.

How Is The Device Implanted?

The Enterra Therapy Device is implanted surgically under general anesthesia. The procedure is performed via laparoscopy and takes 1 to 2 hours.

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