Emergency high-loop jejunostomy as enteral nutrition access: a simple and safe method

Area of Science:

• Surgical Techniques
• Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Support

Background:

• Emergency high-loop jejunostomy is infrequently utilized for nutritional access in clinical settings.
• This study addresses the underutilization of this potentially valuable technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a simple, safe, and effective technique for utilizing emergency high-loop jejunostomy as a route for enteral feeding.
• To evaluate the clinical outcomes and safety of this method.

Main Methods:

• A feeding tube is inserted into the efferent loop of a high-loop jejunostomy and subcutaneously tunneled.
• The tube remains permanently in place for enteral nutrition, allowing for external bag changes without removal.
• The technique was applied to 29 consecutive patients between 2000 and 2006.

Main Results:

• All 29 patients received full-strength enteral nutrition, with a mean treatment duration of 25.1 days.
• The mean distance from the ligament of Treitz to the tube tip was 38.3 cm.
• No major early or late complications, including septic complications, were observed.

Conclusions:

• The described technique for enteral nutrition via emergency high-loop jejunostomy is easy to implement and clinically effective.
• It facilitates early initiation of nutrition and simplifies jejunostomy management.
• The method is safe, with no additional patient discomfort reported.