Successful new method of extracorporeal percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (E-PEG)

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Innovation
• Medical Device Development

Background:

• Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is widely used for nutritional support and gastrointestinal decompression in patients with swallowing disorders.
• Perioperative complications, particularly peristomal infections, remain a challenge with conventional PEG procedures.
• A novel extracorporeal approach under endoscopic observation, termed extra-corporeal PEG (E-PEG), was developed to mitigate these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the novel extra-corporeal PEG (E-PEG) technique.
• To compare the outcomes of E-PEG with the standard pull-method PEG in terms of operative time, complication rates, and hospital stay.
• To assess the potential of E-PEG in reducing peristomal infections.

Main Methods:

• Pre-clinical safety assessments were conducted using pigs under general anesthesia.
• A prospective study involved thirty human patients who provided informed consent.
• Comparative analysis was performed between the E-PEG group and the conventional pull-method PEG group, focusing on key procedural and outcome metrics.

Main Results:

• The E-PEG procedure demonstrated a significantly shorter operation time (mean 10.3 min) compared to the pull-method PEG (mean 26.9 min).
• The incidence of postoperative complications in the E-PEG group was low (6.7%), with no significant increase in peristomal infections reported.
• Postoperative hospital stay for E-PEG patients was typically within two days, highlighting improved patient recovery.

Conclusions:

• Extra-corporeal PEG (E-PEG) is a safe and effective alternative to the traditional pull-method PEG.
• The E-PEG technique offers significant advantages in terms of reduced operation time and hospital stay.
• E-PEG shows promise in minimizing perioperative complications, particularly peristomal infections, associated with gastrostomy procedures.