Upper GI

Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy :: Esophageal Dilatation :: Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrotomy

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrotomy

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a surgical method of supplying food, liquids, and medicines directly into the stomach without performing an open operation open laparotomy).

It is performed on patients who have difficulty in swallowing or unable to take in food through mouth. The purpose of PEG is to provide adequate nutrition to the patients who cannot swallow food.

It is performed by a surgeon, otolaryngologist (ENT specialist), radiologist or gastroenterologist (GI specialist). Avoid drinking or eating 8 hours before the procedure.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia to numb the throat. An endoscope (a thin flexible tube with tiny light and camera on the end) is passed through the mouth into stomach. A small incision is made on abdomen over the stomach. A PEG tube or feeding tube is pushed through into the stomach. The endoscope ensures the correct positioning of the tube in the stomach. The tube is then tied to the skin.

The advantages of this surgery over gastrostomy (opening of abdomen)

• Fast healing
• Less risk observed
• Less time taken to perform the surgery

Some of the complications with PEG tube include pain at the PEG site, leakage of the nutritional liquids around the tube, or malfunction of the tube. Other complications include infection, aspiration (inhalation of gastric contents into the lungs), bleeding, and perforation (a tiny hole that develops in the bowel wall).