Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for patients undergoing resection of oral tumours

Ablation and reconstruction for oral tumours often has a deleterious effect on the ability of patients to maintain an adequate dietary intake. It is well recognized that malnutrition complicates surgery and recovery. Nutritional support can be provided in a variety of ways. This paper reports on the use of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in a series of 33 patients undergoing maxillofacial surgery. The results suggest that PEG feeding has a low complication rate and reduces the weight loss suffered by patients undergoing resection and reconstruction procedures.