[Efficacy of preventive treatment for complications in percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in elderly]

From September 1995 through May 1999, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) was performed in 47 elderly patients, aged 65 to 93 (average 78.9). Several treatments were additionally performed to prevent serious complications in these cases, and their usefulness and problems were investigated. Gastropexy was performed to prevent peritonitis in cases of self-removal of tubes in the acute stage. Intraoperative fluoroscopy was used prevent perforation of the intestines. However, re-insertion of the endoscopic, which was necessary with the push method, was omitted to reduce the burden on the patients. In patients with tube troubles in the chronic stage such as the buried bumper syndrome or self-removal, the existing fistula was preserved and the gastrostomy was reconstructed using a narrow polyvinyl chloride tube and a flexible guide wire to prevent peritonitis by erroneous insertion of the tube. In terms of results, gastropexy was useful to prevent peritonitis in one patient with early self-removal of the tube. Data to evaluate the usefulness of fluoroscopy in preventing perforation of the intestine were insufficient, so more patients need to be studied in the future. Even when confirmation of the location of the internal bumper by endoscopy was omitted, there was no case of poor traction of the bumper, so this procedure seems unnecessary. Review of tube troubles, in the chronic stage revealed no case of peritonitis caused by erroneous insertion of tubes or erroneous injection of nutrients with our reconstruction methods, and complete reconstruction of the gastrostomy with preservation of the existing fistula appeared to be possible. However, those additional treatments require extension of the operation time and rise in cost with increased use of medical instruments, so the indications should be carefully considered.