Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy-20 years later: a historical perspective

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), initially developed for children with inability to swallow, had its first presentation at the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Surgical Association in Florida in 1980. Based on the novel concept of the sutureless approximation of a hollow viscus to the abdominal wall, this minimally invasive procedure has become the standard for direct gastric access worldwide. This report is a brief retrospective about the evolution of PEG and the expanded applications of the surgical concept on which it is based.

Information related to PEG was obtained from personal records, a focused literature search, and data from various registries and the industry.

The search identified 836 peer-reviewed publications directly related to PEG. The original Journal of Pediatric Surgery article has received 483 bibliographic citations. The procedure has had a profound impact on nutritional management, particularly among adult patients. Over 216,000 PEGs are performed annually in the United States. Twelve major manufacturers produce PEG or PEG-related enteral access devices. Select expanded applications of PEG and its principle include indications beyond feeding, use in high-risk patients, percutaneous jejunostomy, percutaneous cecostomy, correction of gastrostomy leakage and gastric volvulus, multiple PEG portals for intragastric interventions, and laparoscopically assisted gastrostomies.

Over 20 years, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy has experienced exponential growth. Improved guidelines and technical refinements have added to its safety. The concept on which it is based has created a ripple effect and led to numerous applications beyond gastric access for feeding. In an era when so many of our procedures are adopted from "adult" general surgery, it is worthwhile to have an historical perspective on PEG, a technique that originated in pediatric surgery.