Method and apparatus for treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)
GERD is treated through a method and apparatus of stimulating the body organ to accelerate a discharge of contents from the duodenum of the patient to thereby encourage discharge of contents from the stomach of the patient across the pyloric valve and into the duodenum.
1 . A method for treating gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) of a patient comprising:
treating a body organ to accelerate a discharge of contents through at least a portion of a small intestine of the patient to thereby encourage discharge of contents from a stomach of the patient across a pyloric valve of the patient and into said small intestine.
2 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said portion is a duodenum of said patient.
3 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said treating is a stimulation selected to increase a pH of said contents of said portion of said small intestine.
4 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said treating is a stimulation selected to decrease an osmolality of said contents of said portion of said small intestine.
5 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said organ is a pancreas of said patient and said treating is a stimulation of said organ selected to stimulate delivery of an exocrine secretion from said pancreas to said portion of said small intestine.
6 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said pancreas is stimulated directly.
7 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said pancreas is indirectly stimulated by stimulating at least a nerve of said pancreas.
8 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said stimulation is initiated by said patient.
9 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said stimulation is initiated by a controller operatively connected to stimulating electrodes and having an input operatively connected to a sensor.
10 . A method according to claim 9 wherein said sensor senses a pH level of said portion of said small intestine.
11 . A method according to claim 9 wherein said sensor senses a degree of filling of said portion of said small intestine.
12 . A method according to claim 9 wherein said sensor senses a degree of osmolality within said portion of said small intestine.
13 . A method according to claim 9 wherein said sensor senses a degree of motility within said portion of said small intestine.
14 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said treatment includes delivery of a paralyzing agent to said pyloric valve.
15 . A method according to claim 14 wherein said delivery is done in conjunction with agents to manage acidity of a content of said portion of said small intestine.
16 . A method according to claim 15 wherein said agents are selected from a group including H 2 antagonists and PPI's.
17 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said stimulation is an electrical stimulation.
18 . A method according to claim 17 wherein said stimulation is at a frequency selected to encourage exocrine secretion without excess endocrine secretion.
19 . A method according to claim 1 wherein said treating is a stimulation selected to encourage bile delivery to the portion of said small intestine.
20 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the body organ is a duodenum of said patient.