What to Expect: Gastric Pacemaker
Rather than mechanically alter your stomach and intestines through gastric bypass surgery, the gastric pacemaker is implanted laparoscopically by a bariatric surgeon.
The gastric pacemaker components include:
- Neuroregulator or generator, which controls the delivery of signals to the vagus nerve, which is the nerve responsible for regulating digestion
- Lead system, which is a set of wires powered by the generator that deliver the electrical pulses to the vagus nerve
- External controllers, which recharge the device and allow your care team to adjust and optimize the device settings and minimize side effects
The gastric pacemaker can be adjusted or removed if desired.