Laparoscopic tubularized continent gastrostomy: an alternative to tube gastrostomies

Gastrostomy tubes, placed either endoscopically or laparoscopically, are the most widely used method to deliver enteral feeding to patients unable to be fed by mouth. Tube gastrostomy is quick and low cost and allows the health care professionals for a convenient route to deliver enteral nutrition to their patients. Nevertheless, bearing an indwelling gastric tube could not be as convenient for patients. Complications, such as bowel perforation, tube dislodgement, peristomal infection or bleeding occur in up to 17% of patients, and some other drawbacks of gastric tubes, such as peristomal pain, are often understated. We present our technique for laparoscopic creation of a tubularized continent gastrostomy, originally conceived for the emergency treatment of patients with a dislodged percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, to provide them with a reliable new route for gastric feeding. After healing, this gastrostomy does not need an indwelling tube to stay patent, requires only a light gauze dressing and can be used by intermittent catheterization at conventional feeding times during the day. Laparoscopic tubularized continent gastrostomy can be offered to patients as a reliable alternative to tube gastrostomy.