Comparison of operative gastrostomy with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

The purpose of this study was to review our experience with 83 operative gastrostomies (OG) and 51 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (PEG) and assess the advantage of one procedure over the other. The overall complication rate for the OG group was 30% with three cases of gastrocutaneous fistula. The overall complication rate for the PEG group was 24%. The 30-day mortality for OG was 7% and for PEG, 10%. We conclude that both OG and PEG are effective methods of enteral access. No gastrocutaneous fistulas developed in patients who underwent PEG. In our experience, no statistically significant difference was noted in morbidity and mortality of either group.