Sun
19
Apr

Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG)

A surgical procedure to place a tube into the stomach. This procedure is a less invasive alternative to an open abdominal operation (laparotomy).

Parts of the Body Involved

Stomach, skin, parts of the abdominal wall

Reasons for Procedure

A gastrostomy tube is used to:
  • Feed a person who has difficulty sucking or swallowing
  • Drain the stomach of accumulated acid and fluids in a person with a blockage between the stomach and the small intestine

Risk Factors for Complications during the Procedure

  • Stress
  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Excess consumption of alcohol
  • Use of narcotics or other mind-altering drugs
  • Use of certain prescription medications, including muscle relaxants and sedatives, anti-hypertensives, insulin, beta-adrenergic blockers, cortisone
  • Prior surgeries that involved or may have made positioning the abdomen difficult (such as a gastrectomy)

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

Your doctor will likely do the following:
  • Physical exam
  • Medical history
  • Review of medications
  • Blood test
  • Urine test
  • X-rays of gastrointestinal tract
  • Endoscopic examination of stomach

Outcome

This procedure results in the placement of a workable alternative feeding site.

Call Your Doctor If Any of the Following Occurs

  • Signs of infection, including fever and chills
  • Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision site
  • Headaches, muscle aches, dizziness, fever, or general ill feeling
  • Nausea, constipation, or abdominal swelling
  • Vomit