PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC GASTROSTOMY

Gastrostomy by endoscopy is a simple and fast procedure which does not require general anaesthesia. Its morbidity and mortality rates are low. With the initial technique, the gastrostomy tube was pulled in by a thread introduced percutaneously into the stomach. In cases with oesophageal stenosis, using a Foley balloon catheter is useful. Gastrostomy can be transformed into jejunostomy by a similar method. The main indications of percutaneous endoscopic gastrotomy are cancer of the upper respiratory or digestive tract, notably these complicated by fistulae, and disorders of deglutition due to abnormal buccal and pharyngeal stages.