Implantable Gastric Stimulation

Implantable Gastric Stimulation (IGS) is a pacemaker like device, where the pacemaker electrical leads are attached by a surgeon to the surface of the stomach. These devices are aimed at obesity management. This device works on either or both of the following principles. 1) Disruption of motility cycle 2) Stimulation of Enteric nervous system. The purpose of both techniques is to increase the duration of satiety and there by making the patient consume less intake.

The first technique, although not found as effective works on keeping the food longer in the stomach by disrupting the natural motility cycle of stomach and there by continuing the satiety.

The second technique is based on the fact that enteric nervous system carries signals to the brain that indicate the state of satiety. By stimulating this nervous system, specifically vagus nerve a gastric pace maker mimics the feeling of satiety to the brain.

This device is implanted using laproscopic surgery. There are also some efforts to implant this device endoscopically avoiding surgery.

It is a technology that is still in the beginning phase and being tested in Europe and Canada and shows great promise. However early evidence suggests that it cannot produce the same reduction in excess weight loss as Bariatric surgery such as Roux-en-Y or Laproscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (Lap Band)

Medtronic which makes heart pacemakers, is developing this treatment.

[http://medgadget.com/archives/2005/07/the_transcend_i.html The Transcend Implantable Gastric Stimulator (IGS) (med gadget)]