[Complications after Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement - A Retrospective Analysis]

Enteral nutrition is vital for patients with inadequate or absent oral food intake, as it can help to avoid catabolic metabolism. Enteral feeding can be secured by placing a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube (PEG-tube) which is an approved method. Several clinical studies could verify the superiority of this procedure compared to other options. Even though PEG-tube placement is regarded as less invasive surgery, a considerable rate of complications is reported in literature.

Here, we report a retrospective analysis of PEG-tube placements in the Bonn University Hospital from January 2005 to December 2012.

Overall, 641 PEG-tubes were placed with a complication rate of 9.4 %, which can be further divided in 5.5 % minor complications (mic) and 3.9 % major complications (mac). Two cases of death occurred in the context of PEG-tube placement. Endoscopically inserted PEG-tubes showed a complication rate of 8.6 % (4.8 % mic, 3.8 % mac). 63.2 % of mac consisted of perforations, 15.8 % of intra-abdominal abscesses and 15.8 % of buried bumper syndromes. The complication rate of CT-guided placement of PEG-tubes was 38.9 % (27.8 % mic, 11.1 % mac). In this group, all mac were perforations. Surgical PEG-tube placement was accompanied by no mac and 7.7 % mic.

The amount of complications during PEG-tube placement is remarkable, therefore the indication of this procedure must be contemplated critically and careful follow-up is crucial.