Gastroparesis Treatment Centers In St. Petersburg, FL

G-POEM, also called POP or per-oral pyloromyotomy, is an incisionless procedure done entirely through the mouth. Using a flexible endoscope, a small tunnel is made under the pyloric muscle, and the muscle is divided with an endoscopic knife so the stomach can empty. There are no abdominal cuts, it is usually outpatient, and recovery is generally quicker than open surgery. Dr. Grandhige is one of a few surgeons in the region who performs it.

It is for selected patients with confirmed, medication-resistant gastroparesis. That is the whole reason the testing above comes first. If delayed emptying is not what is driving your symptoms, loosening the pylorus will not fix them, so patients whose symptoms trace to functional dyspepsia or another cause are not candidates. Patients with severe weight loss may need their nutrition stabilized first. And it manages symptoms rather than curing the disease, so results vary from person to person.

The surgical alternative, pyloroplasty, divides the same muscle through small abdominal incisions and can be very effective, though opening the valve permanently sometimes brings side effects like bile reflux or looser stools with certain meals. Which one fits depends on your anatomy and your testing. Every procedure is done at HCA South Tampa Hospital with the same operating-room team and Dr. Grandhige’s own physician assistant, so the people in the room know the operation cold.

Before your first visit, Dr. Grandhige personally reviews your records. That means your endoscopy reports, any gastric emptying study, imaging, and notes from your gastroenterologist, primary care doctor, or other specialists. Reviewing it ahead of time means your appointment is spent on answers, not filling out forms or repeating your history again. Email your records to info@tampareflux.com before you come in.

New patients are usually seen within two weeks, and always within four. If your testing is already done, one visit is often enough to confirm the diagnosis and talk through options. If testing is still needed, a second visit about four weeks later reviews the results and settles the plan. When a procedure is the right call, the stretch from consultation to the procedure itself typically runs four to eight weeks, depending on testing and scheduling. Throughout, a dedicated physician assistant is part of every case and stays reachable during recovery, so you are not handed off to someone who has never met you.

For most of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, the office is about 20 to 30 minutes away, over the Howard Frankland or Gandy Bridge, in the South Howard (SoHo) district of South Tampa. For a chronic condition that needs follow-up, that is usually simpler than flying to a national center and starting over at every visit.

You will find the practice at 1315 South Howard Avenue, Suite 101, in a yellow brick building next to Sally O’Neill’s Pizza, with parking behind the restaurant. Patients come from across St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and the rest of Pinellas, along with the wider Tampa Bay region. For anyone traveling in, the office coordinates testing efficiently and, when possible, arranges for tests to be done closer to home so you make fewer trips. The point is subspecialty focus without the distance.

If your gastroparesis symptoms are not improving, the next step is a diagnosis you can trust. Request a consultation with Dr. Grandhige, or send your records to info@tampareflux.com to get started.