Pediatric gastrostomy tubes and techniques: making safer and cleaner choices

Gastrostomy tube placement is a common procedure that can be accomplished with a variety of techniques, each with its attendant complications. In an effort to standardize practice at our institution, we retrospectively evaluated complications including early dislodgement requiring operative repair, leaks, and granulation tissue to determine the optimal technique.

A retrospective cohort study (June 2008-July 2014) evaluating children (<18) receiving gastrostomy tubes was completed. We recorded demographic data, placement technique, and postoperative complications within 120 days. The seven techniques in use at our institution were categorized into three groups: standard pull-type techniques for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (PEGs), "push" techniques using transabdominal sutures or T-fasteners for securement of the stomach, and "fascial" techniques using sutures directly from the stomach to the abdominal fascia at the stoma site. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using t test and Kruskal-Wallis tests as appropriate, and outcomes with P < 0.05 were considered significant.

Of the 450 patients, 255 (56.7%) were male. Median age and weight at the time of operation were 19.3 months (interquartile range, 6.5-89.6 months) and 9.0 kg (interquartile range, 5.7-17.1 kg) respectively. By technique, 245 patients underwent fascial placement (54.4%), 112 underwent push (24.9 %), and 93 underwent PEG (20.7%). Push and fascial techniques were less likely become dislodged than PEG, with odds ratios (ORs) of 0.14 (confidence interval CI 0.02-0.66) and 0.31 (CI 0.11-0.83), respectively. Fascial techniques had more granulation tissue than either push or PEG pull methods, OR 2.39 (CI 1.20-3.36), and more leakage, OR 2.22 (CI 1.19-4.15).

Dislodgement is most likely with PEG techniques. Granulation and leakage are most likely with fascial suture techniques. Push techniques are associated with the lowest complication rate.