Successful repeated gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (re-G-POEM) in the treatment of postsurgical gastroparesis

Abstract

Introduction: Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) is a promising but still experimental endoscopic method for the treatment of gastroparesis.
Case report: We describe the case of a 31 years old female patient with severe refractory postsurgical gastroparesis preceded by fundoplication done for reflux disease. She has had digestive problems since childhood. In 2018, the first G-POEM was performed but did not lead to any clinical improvement. We proposed to perform a repeated G-POEM given that impedance planimetry measurement showed persistent pylorospasm. The patient agreed and the second G-POEM was performed in February 2021 (the first re-G-POEM in the Czech Republic) with a satisfactory clinical result; a subsequent gastric emptying study also showed a significant improvement.
Conclusion: This case report shows the feasibility of performing a repeated endoscopic pyloromyotomy in patients with gastroparesis and proven pylorospasm. One can only hypothesize whether the lack of effect of the first procedure was caused by an incomplete myotomy (failure of the procedure) or the need for a double myotomy, which is considered a standard in some centers.