PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC GASTROSTOMY - A LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the preferred method of l ong-term tube feeding, but only a few studies describe a long-term fol low-up. The purpose of this study is to analyze the follow-up of PEG e nteral feeling patients in the long term, and to report on the complic ation and survival rates. Between January 1991 and June 1995, eve stud ied 136 patients (49% cancer and 51% non-cancer patients; male = 68%, female = 32%) after PEG insertion. One hundred twenty-eight patients h ad a long-term follow-up of over 31 d. The mean duration of PEG feedin g was 277 +/- 358 d (range 31-1590): 17% of patients returned to oral feeding, 34% continued enteral nutrition and 49% died. Major complicat ions occurred in 3% of the patients: 1 aspiration pneumonia, 1 subcuta neous abscess, 2 buried bumper syndrome. Minor complications arose in 14% of our cases: 8 tube blockages, 4 tube dislodgements, 6 site infec tions. For the whole group of 136 patients, survival probabilities aft er PEG insertion at 1, 6, 12, and 24 mo were 90.5%, 52%, 42%, and 35%, respectively. After 180 d, the difference in survival probabilities b etween cancer and non-cancer patients became significant (P < 0.02). M edian survival probability was 64% for non-cancer and 39% for cancer p atients, and this trend did not chance over 2 y. (C)Elsevier Science i nc. 1997.