Non-surgical access for enteral nutritional: gastrostomy and jejunostomy, technique and results

Gastrostomy is the most efficient and best tolerated method of prolonged nutritional support. Jejunostomy is used more rarely. Indications for both techniques have increased because of progress in insertion techniques under endoscopic or radiologic guidance. The procedure is simple and rapid, performed under simple sedation with a success rate over 95% for gastrostomy, irrespective of the technique. Mortality directly related to the technique is less than 5%, but associated co-morbidity also explains a more variable but often higher 30-day mortality. Local care and maintenance of the catheter should help avoid most of the late complications such as peristomal leaks, local infection or sepsis of the tunneled catheter in the abdominal wall. The main indications are neurologic swallowing disorders, mechanical dysphagia from ENT or esophageal disease, when the expected duration of enteral nutrition is at least longer than 3 weeks. In patients with severe dementia, no benefit for either nutritional status or quality of life has been demonstrated. In all cases, adequate patient information and careful evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio are capital.