Clinical experience of feeding through a needle catheter jejunostomy aftermajor abdominal operations

Objective: To report our incidence of local and systemic complications afte r needle-catheter jejunostomy. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: University hospital, Switzerland. Results: 100 patients (70 men and 30 women; mean age 65 years, range 42-90) had needle-catheter jejunostomy for postoperative enteral feeding. 26 deve loped catheter-related and 18 nutrition-related complications. Most of the complications were minor (lumenal obstruction of the catheter or local cell ulitis) and only 3 patients needed reoperation: 2 because the catheter brok e with extravasation of the nutrition formula into the subcutaneous tissue, and the other because of a small bowel obstruction. There was no small bow el necrosis and no patient died as a direct result of the jejunostomy. Over all, 92 patients were fed enterally according to the protocol, and 8 requir ed removal of the catheter. Conclusion: Needle-catheter jejunostomy gives a safe and effective access f or postoperative enteral feeding. Minor technical complications are common and can be reduced by a meticulous insertion technique and careful postoper ative management. Regular clinical surveillance may reduce the incidence of nutrition-related complications.