Cleveland Clinic has long had the expertise to diagnose and treat people with gastroparesis and other gastric emptying disorders. A Dysmotility Clinic that opened in May 2015 now expands the scope of services to be more comprehensive, more multidisciplinary and more patient-centric.
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
“We’re focusing on identifying true pathology,” says Michael Cline, DO, a Cleveland Clinic gastroenterologist who is helping lead the new clinic. “Does the patient have gastroparesis or a motility disorder of the entire GI tract?” Some patients referred for gastroparesis actually have total gut dysfunction, for example.
Dr. Cline and colleagues plan to conduct research, publish their findings and maintain an ongoing registry. “We’re going to do a lot of great things for patients and the treatment of gastroparesis going forward.”
The Dysmotility Clinic combines expertise in gastroenterology, surgery, pain management, nutrition and psychology to treat conditions that include:
“We look at patients as a whole,” Dr. Cline says. “If a patient is referred for a gastric pacemaker, a surgeon and I find out how the condition is affecting his or her life and job, and we talk about other options before surgery.” The clinic also serves patients with existing pacemakers and those referred for SmartPill® GI motility testing.
“A multidisciplinary approach allows us to determine the best path for each patient,” Dr. Cline says.
The clinic reopened in a location with more privacy for patients. It’s also patient-centric because “the patient stays in one room and we go in and out,” Dr. Cline says.
“Our clinic offers the benefit of a multispecialty group that evaluates patients from a medical, surgical and psychological standpoint to offer a ‘one-stop’ evaluation and treatment approach to this complex disease,” general surgeon John Rodriguez, MD, says.
Appointment scheduling is more streamlined. A new, dedicated Clinic Coordinator screens patients on the telephone before they come in, checks their medications and makes sure they complete all required testing.
Going forward, the clinic is seeking FDA approval to prescribe cisapride, a gastroprokinetic agent; planning more collaboration between Dysmotility Clinic providers on the main Ohio campus and other locations, including Cleveland Clinic Florida; and providing telemedicine for patients as well as a means for greater physician-to-physician collaboration.
To refer a patient to the Dysmotility Clinic, call 855.REFER.123.
Infliximab-abda offers similar benefits at lower costs
How rates of colectomy and biologics use have changed over time
Post hoc analysis of phase 3 trial shows benefit
On the purpose, process and results
Lower cost option increases access to therapies
Newer noninvasive tests allow many patients to avoid liver biopsy
Careful risk stratification is key
Findings support the safety of the technique
