[Feeding of patients with ENT diseases using an enteral tube system (PEG/PEJ tubes). A review]

In patients with benign or malignant diseases of the larynx/pharynx causing inadequate oral food intake, maintenance of individual adequate enteral nutrition is a major medical goal. This is particularly important in patients with malignant ENT tumours, where therapeutical measures as radiation or chemotherapy result in further deterioration of nutritional status and consecutively of quality of life and tolerance of therapy. Due to its safe and technically simple route of placement, the PEG has become the preferred enteral route of choice for enteral long-term nutrition world-wide. The technical success rate is > 99% with a procedure-related lethality rate of about 0%. Prospective clinical studies prove the excellent individual subjective acceptance of this method by patients. Indications, contraindications, complications, technical procedures and clinical aspects of PEG placement are described in detail in the present review. Long-term enteral feeding via PEG is accepted as a safe, effective, easy to practise and highly acceptable method with excellent long-term results and thus distinct improvement of nutritional status. Individual decision for PEG placement should be considered much earlier and more frequently in appropriate patients to save and further improve clinical and nutritional status and consecutively quality of life.