Percutaneous gastrostomy in oncologic patients: analysis of results and expansion of the indications

Background: Percutaneous gastrostomy is generally performed for permanent e nteral nutrition or gastric decompression. Methods: In our series of oncologic patients, percutaneous gastrostomy was also used temporarily in some patients fur enteral nutrition while awaiting functional recovery of swallowing, in preparation for surgery, or for the treatment of fistulas in the upper digestive tract. Fifty-one procedures we re performed in 50 patients: 42 for feeding, eight for decompression, and o ne for transgastric drainage of a duodenal fistula. Results: Of the 35 patients treated for permanent enteral nutrition, four a re still alive, with a total survival time of 2167 days. In three patients, gastrostomy was performed for temporary feeding and was removed once the a bility to swallow was restored. In four patients, it was created to restore metabolic balance before surgery. In the patient with a duodenal fistula, healing was achieved in 19 days. The seven patients in whom the procedure w as performed for decompression survived for a mean of 19.2 days. There was only one major procedure-related complication (peritonitis). Conclusions: Percutaneous gastrostomy is a safe, low-cost method that allow s the patient to maintain essential nutrition without the discomfort of a n asogastic tube and therefore warrants wider and earlier use. We feel that i ts application should also be extended to temporary feeding of patients abo ut to undergo long courses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which can lead to severe deterioration of nutritional status.