[Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Indications and follow-up in 52 patients]

A nutritional support was indicated in 52 patients, most of whom had deglutition problems linked with post-therapeutic after-effects of neoplasia of the ORL sphere. Assistance was possible in all the cases, with difficulty in 9 cases. There were only three major complication (two of which necessitated the removal of the tube) and no fatalities. Benign, more numerous complications were all medically curable and did not necessitate the removal of the tube. The follow-up of the patients showed remarkable tolerance to, and nonproblematic use of, the GPE tube as a nutritional aid leading, in the majority of cases, to a weight gain, even when ambulatory. Our experience suggests that this technique deserves a prime place as a nutritional aid for cases of deglutition problems, of neurological origin, and in ORL cancers. Its relative safety must undoubtedly make it preferable to the surgical technique.