New Gastroparesis Treatments In St. Petersburg, FL

G-POEM is not the only option, and choosing the right treatment for the patient matters more than defaulting to one procedure. When someone is not a good endoscopic candidate, Dr. Grandhige performs pyloroplasty, a robotic or laparoscopic version of the same pyloric opening. For severe cases with weight loss or malnutrition, a feeding tube can restore nutrition before any definitive procedure is considered. In rare cases that have failed every other therapy, subtotal gastrectomy is a last option. Diet changes and promotility or anti-nausea medication stay part of the plan for many patients, often alongside a procedure rather than in place of one.

Because gastroparesis can drive severe acid reflux (GERD) and overlaps with other foregut problems, being seen by a surgeon who treats the whole area helps. Dr. Grandhige also treats achalasia, a swallowing disorder in which the valve at the bottom of the esophagus fails to relax, using a related endoscopic myotomy.

For a St. Petersburg patient, the practical draw is access to a procedure that is hard to find nearby. Dr. Grandhige is one of a handful of surgeons in the Tampa Bay area performing G-POEM, and the office at 1315 South Howard Avenue in South Tampa is roughly 25 to 35 minutes from most of St. Petersburg by way of the Gandy or Howard Frankland bridge.

The practice is set up for out-of-town patients. The team groups testing into as few visits as possible, arranges for studies to be done closer to home when that is feasible, and helps with scheduling and logistics so a cross-bay trip is worth the drive.

The expertise behind the procedure is verifiable. Dr. Grandhige is a board-certified general surgeon, fellowship-trained in foregut and minimally invasive surgery, and has focused on esophagus, diaphragm, and stomach conditions in Tampa Bay since 2009. As a high-volume foregut surgeon, he has performed more than 600 fundoplications, more than 600 LINX procedures, and more than 200 TIF procedures for reflux, and he also performs hiatal hernia repair and other foregut surgery. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a founding member of the American Foregut Society.

Most patients are seen within two weeks of reaching out, and always within four. The fastest way to a clear answer is to send your records ahead of time. Email prior endoscopy reports, any gastric emptying or pH testing, imaging, a medication list, and notes from other doctors to info@tampareflux.com, and Dr. Grandhige reviews them before you arrive.

If your testing is already complete, one consultation is often enough to confirm the diagnosis and discuss options. If testing is still needed, the first visit focuses on records review and planning the right studies, and a second visit about four weeks later reviews the results and settles the plan. From first consultation to procedure usually runs about four to eight weeks, depending on testing.

Recovery from G-POEM is short. Most patients go home the same day or the next and advance their diet gradually as the stomach adjusts, with follow-up to track progress. For background between visits, the practice publishes educational articles on the Tampa Bay Reflux Institute blog.

If diet and medication have not been enough, the next step is a consultation to confirm what is causing your symptoms and whether an incisionless procedure can help. Send your records, bring your questions, and get a straight answer about your options.